Restart
by An abundance of squids
Summary: There's no shame in restarting. But what if restarting means you lose everything you ever believed in? And what if it mean becoming everything you hoped you'd never become? Its not my fault I had to make that decision. But it is my fault I chose the outcome I did. And this is my fate.
1. Prolouge

I ran.

I had done so for years now, and this was no different. They'd always been on my tail, but never this close.

I ran. Every muscle of my body ached, shouting at me to stop and surrender.

But my mind would not.

My mind refused to stop, refused to give in and let myself become mindless Pokémon. The fear of what would happen if I did fuelling me.

But, I knew that not even that would last for much longer.

I could hear their shouts, getting closer and closer with every passing second, and my own breath, coming in ragged gasps. I couldn't run much longer. Any moment now, I would fall or trip, ending this futile chase that I had been running my entire life.

Then it finally happened.

My ankle twisted and fell over, colliding with a tree in the process. It was finally all over, I knew. I wouldn't get up again. But still, I struggled. I heard more shouts, getting closer and closer. I finally managed to sit up and look towards them. I might've been down, but I would refuse to go down quietly.

There were only two of them. But that didn't matter.

I glared at them, a primal sounding snarl erupting from me.

Archer and Domino.

I knew them well, having been chased by them since the beginning.

I tried to strike at them with telekinesis, but the fear that once fuelled me now prevented any coherent thought, let alone a psychic attack.

"Take its arms." I heard Archer say, putting down a small silver case. "I'll tranquilise it" she nodded and walked towards me, bringing out on of the black flowers that she was so infamous for. She threw it on the ground, where it exploded in a flash of bright light. I instinctively spun around, expecting an attack from that angle, but was given a hard boot to my back, slamming me to the ground. I let out a sharp mew of pain as she put her full weight on my back and grabbed my arms, bending them backwards far beyond their normal. I tried to shrug her off, using struggle, the last and only move I had the energy and concentration for, but she remained on top of me.

I must have been a pathetic sight, I - the world's most powerful Pokémon - defeated and at the mercy of the one organisation I had sworn to never be a part of.

Even if I could somehow escape them, it would be no use. I was a complete wreck. I hadn't slept in weeks and I honestly couldn't remember the last time I ate something. Every muscle of my body ached from running so much. Chances are they'd catch up with me somewhere else. And next time, I knew it wouldn't be just them.

And if that didn't happen, I'd just succumb to the insanity that all these years of stress and fear were bringing down upon me.

But then again, no matter where I was, I'd be driven insane. That had made itself apparent since day one.

Archer finally walked over, my viewpoint from the ground hiding whatever he was going to do. This was it.

They were going to capture me.

And there was nothing I could do about it.

That was the last thought that went through my head as something cold pressed against the skin of my back.


	2. Chapter 1

**restart**

 _"and how shall you rise beyond your days and nights unless you break the chains which you at the dawn if your understanding have fastened around your noon hour?_

 _In the truth that which you call freedom is the strongest of these chains, though its links glitter in the sun and dazzle your eyes."_

 _The prophet, kahlil gibran_

Finally, I awoke.

But where, I did not know.

All I could feel was cold hard stone against my face. And pain. An unrelenting pain that seemed to consume my entire being.

I didn't open my eyes.

I didn't want to find out what had happened.

I didn't want to find out how it all ended.

I wanted to hold on to this final moment of peace, to savour the last moment of what would be my life.

To say everything hurt was an understatement. My ankle was assaulted with a deep, sharp pain, caused by my fall earlier, my head and neck was subject to a throbbing ache worse than any headache I had ever experienced, caused possibly by whatever device they had on me that was stopping me from using any of my powers.

I felt something liquid on my face.

A...tear?

it didn't matter. It didn't matter what I did now. I knew that soon, it would all come to an end. Every battle I had ever fought for my freedom, everything I had ever suffered, was it all been in vain? Had I endured so much, only to have it all crash down upon me?

It all condensed down into one thing.

I had failed.

Another tear. It didn't matter anymore.

I drew myself into a ball. My body was still stiff and sore but I didn't care. I had nothing left, not even my dignity.

Suddenly, a door opened. The noise of it sliced though my sobs. There were footsteps. They stopped in front of my crying form.

Still, I didn't open my eyes. As if that would somehow save me from the inevitable.

Whoever the intruder was, they remained silent.

And after awhile, so did I.

Finally, he spoke.

"Mewtwo? Are you awake?" I froze, pure terror taking a hold of my mind. I opened my eyes, hoping that mind had deceived me.

It had not.

I whimpered, drawing myself in tighter.

Once upon a time, I might've fought him.

Once, I might've yelled or attacked him.

But now, I felt fear, not anger. My mind had slowly changed, and I now feared him, not loathed him. And so, I didn't fight. I had been running for too long, and it had warped my mind. I felt powerless, as if I had been drained of all my anger and my will.

"It doesn't have to be like this." He said. "You don't have to fear me. There's no shame in starting again."

I turned around. Despite his words, he still terrified me.

"You….you betrayed me." I finally said, but the words seemed hollow, as if they meant nothing. "We were never equal. And we will never be. Not in your eyes." I looked upwards, desperate for something that wasn't him to focus on.

Up high in the wall was a small opening, from where the rooms light came from.

And sitting in it, staring down at me was a dove. A rare sight in a world where beings of immense power where the norm. but it was there, preening its pure white wings.

I looked up at it, envying its freedom and the simplicity of its life. I would give up everything, my power, my humanity to become that dove. To be free and not constantly chased. I would give it all up to be _anything_ that wasn't who I was.

I wasn't a blessing.

I was a curse.

Once again, the tears threatened to spill, but I held them back.

The dove, now finished cleaning, gave me one final look and flew away.

A single white, slender feather floated down from where it was perched, to in front of me. Slowly, I uncurled myself and picked up the feather. It was so white and pristine; I almost didn't want to touch it. I didn't want who I was to spoil it, to turn it into dust like I was.

I had once been told that doves represent peace, but if that was true, what was it doing here? This wasn't peace. This was as far as I could get from it.

I looked down, not at the feather, but past it, at my disfigured parody that was my hands. I tried to remember why I hated him, tried to remember why I had been running.

But I couldn't.

I had been running for so long, I had forgotten why I was running in the first place. All my memories had started to blur into one painful mess. Why did I even care anymore? Was I running because of something I didn't know?

I let out a shaky sigh.

All my hatred was gone, replaced with…I didn't know what anymore.

I knew I had been running, but not from what anymore.

Why had I run in the first place?

I couldn't remember anymore.

AN - where does one put an epigraph? before or after a prologue?


	3. Chapter 2

It had all changed me. Turned me from the once powerful being to a terrified beast.

Finally, I turned around.

I had to have run for a reason, but yet, it all seemed so vague. Events that once seemed so large seemed to fade into oblivion. Moments that once haunted me failed to make themselves visible against the pain and toil that was my everyday life.

No, that had been my everyday.

I grimaced a little as the memories gave me a short stab of pain.

It was all gone now.

I didn't look at him. I couldn't meet his gaze.

I still looked down at my hands, down at the feather.

Maybe it was time I made peace.

"I…I'm sorry." I finally said.

"It wasn't your fault. I was in the wrong, not you."

"No, I was. You didn't betray me. I did." I finally looked upwards. He was looking at me, confusion on his face. "I…I shouldn't of reacted like that. I should've seen that it had been like that the entire time." I sighed, but my voice grew steadier with every word I spoke. slowly, I felt that the will that had been drained from me was returning. But yet, I continued. "As much as it hurts to admit it, I'm not a human. I'm a Pokémon. I've been living this delusion when time and time again, I prove myself wrong. All I was ever running from was the truth."

The silence that followed was suffocating, swallowing all sound save for the echoes of my voice. Finally, his face showed an emotion I could comprehend. Completely nonplussed surprise.

"You're not a Pokémon." He said. "I only thought that because that's what I asked for. When I found you, I had no idea what those scientists had created in their lab. And to be honest, I still don't. I thought that your intelligence started and ended at telepathy. I thought it wouldn't matter what I said, as you wouldn't understand what I meant." It was his turn to sigh now.

"But that is all in the past. We all make mistakes, and sometimes they are worse than they seem. We are both to blame for the incidents of your life. My actions at Purity Lake weren't necessary, but then again, neither were yours at new island." He offered me his hand. "But we don't have to dwell on what has happened. What matters is what happens now. I once compared you to a wildfire Mewtwo, and despite all that has happened, I think that comparison still stands. You may be more than just a Pokémon, but there still things that remain fundamental to who you are. Things that I doubt you have mastered. And at the same time, there are things that only you know that I could learn. And so, I once again extend my hand, not in a gesture of capture, but of one of alliance, like I once did so long ago among the ashes of your birthplace. You will remain here, but not as a Pokémon, but as a person."

"And what if I refuse?" I asked, but I could tell that my mind wasn't seriously into the idea.

Then I will be forced to treat you like the Pokémon you said you were – with a master ball and the armour." I winced at the thought. "I know you are a reasonable Pokémon Mewtwo, so please do not let it come to that."

I paused - not in uncertainty, but in fear. Despite all his words, the man still terrified me. Images of what he threatened to do to me and my clones flashed by in my memory. What if he turned against me and turned me into a glorified lab rattata? What if…

I shook my head. I couldn't procrastinate any longer.

It wasn't like I had a choice.

"I accept your offer. But on one condition," I met his gaze for the first time in what was years. "This affects me and me alone. You do not bring either mew or my clones into this at all. If you threaten them or I find them within this facility, I will not hesitate to destroy you." I hesitated a little as I brought up mew and my clones. Where were they now? In a better place than I, no doubt.

"I accept those terms. We do not need them after all, if we have you."

I got up. I didn't need his help. He was wrong of he thought I did.

"Then I agree." I said, my voice and composure back to its usual coldness. But while my façade had returned to its usual state, I had not.

I let go of the feather.


	4. Chapter 3

Days passed, but time might've been still for all I knew. Everything seemed so distant, as if it was all a dream.

No, as if it was all a nightmare.

Bu be that as it may, every dream has an end, where the dreamer must return to reality.

All of a sudden, I found myself staring at the armour. And once again, I faced it with the intention of putting it on. And that was there my dream ended. All of a sudden, the cold, hard reality of what I had done hit me as I stood there.

"Sweet Arceus…" I swore. The book says to not take the lord's name in vain, but by now, that being was no longer my lord, merely my tormentor. "What have I done?"

"is there a problem Mewtwo?" I turned to face the speaker and my master.

"you…you've done something, haven't you? No sane man would join team rocket, and I am no different. But yet…but yet, here I am. Once again within the embrace of your demonic organisation. But this time, _willingly_." I walked towards him, still holding the helmet. "I am the world's most powerful Pokémon. I am not meant to fall. But yet, I find myself at yours hands, no longer the master of my own fate, but a puppet to your twisted goals."

"We did nothing Mewtwo, I assure you of that. You joined us on your own free will." He indicated at the helmet. "We can discuss this later if you want, but now, we have something to do. You need to fight. No amount of talking and deals with hide that fact. Mewtwo."

I sighed and turned back to the armour. It had changed since I had last seen it, no surprise as I destroyed the original set years ago. It was now white, with grey lines running down along its various surfaces. It had changed dramatically in shape, as it now looked like it would actually protect me, as opposed to simply limiting my power.

I sighed and began putting it on. It didn't take long.

I paused when it came to the helmet. Did I really want to go back to what I once was? Being in the wild might've been terrible, but was it really worse than this? I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of those thoughts. No matter how good or bad it once was, that was gone.

I put on the helmet.

Something clicked and something moved, biting into my flesh, causing a sharp mew of pain to come from me. Suddenly, the grey lines on the armour turned bright shade of blue, identical in colour to my psychic powers. My vison was suddenly lit up as the visor booted itself into life, giving everything around me a slight blue tint.

I spun around in surprise as numbers begin to flicker before my eyes, as they finally settled into place at the edges of my vision.

"finally." I heard a new voice say. "I thought you'd never finish.

I looked towards the newcomer. A small text box appeared in my vision informing me of his identity.

Without introduction, he continued. "What you should be experiencing is the armour booting up for the first time. The overlay you are currently seeing is your heads up display…" I started to say that I knew what this was, but stopped, deciding it was better if I feigned technological ignorance. The man went on for several minutes, most of it just him boasting about how advanced his technology was.

"Carlos, I thought I said we'd come to you if there was a problem. Not the other way around." Giovanni finally interrupted, irritation obvious in his voice.

The scientist stopped and grumbled something about ungrateful plebeians, but stopped talking.

"good. Now, if you'll excuse us, I think we have some fighting to do."

— — —

It had been ages since I had fought on an arena. Of course, I had fought everyday of my life, but I had never been confined to the rules of battle in the wild. I hadn't been on an arena since new island, and that had been as a trainer. I hadn't fought as someone else's Pokémon since I had last been here, in team rocket.

It had been years since I had last fought like this, but that wasn't going to stop me.

I looked at my opponent. Six Pokémon, someone's full team, stood in front of me, waiting for commands from their trainer.

"one Pokémon huh? Is that all you got?" their trainer, a female ace trainer, smirked. "lucario, bone club! Charizard, flamethrower! Flygon, fly! Raichu, thunderbolt! Espeon, psychic! Heatran, overheat!"

"defeat them." He said.

The charizard was first to attack. It flew forwards, letting out a volley of white-hot flames. I put up a barrier, but not before they hit me. The flames seared the parts of me that were exposed and threatened to burn me, even under my armour. In response, I telekinetically grabbed the Pokémon out of mid-air and threw it to the side, where it collided into the ground, fainted.

I hastily healed myself just before a torrent of lava-like blue fire suddenly erupted from the heatran's mouth. The momentum of the attack sent me flying backwards, only for me to suddenly stop my flight with telekinesis. I wasn't going to let myself be beaten, and it didn't matter that it was a legendary Pokémon I was facing.

All that mattered was that I was more powerful than it.

I teleported behind the lava dome Pokémon and slammed into it a ball of pure aura. It fainted easily to the super effective move.

I looked up. Only four Pokémon remained now. I let lose a psywave, sending both the raichu and the espeon down, their minds overloaded with psychic power.

Suddenly, there was a swooping of wings and I rolled out the way just in time to avoid the flying attack from the flygon. It roared and dived at me again, wings flared to execute another flying type attack. I quickly formed a sphere of psychic energy around me, and just as the Pokémon made contact with the sphere, it suddenly expanded outwards as I let loose my psystrike attack.

I got up and faced my final opponent. The lucario hadn't moves at all, instead standing by its trainer, spectating.

The trainer took something off from around her neck and held it high above her, revealing the pendant she'd been wearing. I looked at it, confusion clear on my hidden face. Was she going to attack me?

The blueish green surface of the pendant suddenly started glowing, along with the lucario. Both trainer and pokemon were suddenly encased with light, and the stone grew brighter and brighter, almost blinding me.

Suddenly, the sphere cracked and the lucario roared.

At least, what was once the lucario.

It had changed, as if it had evolved.

I frowned a little. What had happened? Lucario could not evolve, and I had never heard of a stone-based evolution happening in battle...

I was suddenly thrown back into the real world as the pokemon charged, a thick club of bone forming between its hands.

I smiled. No matter what had happened, I could defeat this Pokémon.

I formed a staff of my own, this time a spoon of a glass-like material in my own hands. As the lucario attacked, I brought up my own staff, blocking the move. I then swept the weapon at the lucario, only to have it parried by the Pokémon's club. It attacked me again, but instead of blocking it, I dodged the attack and struck the Pokémon in the legs, sending it to the ground.

Casting away the staff, I attacked, sending another wave of mental energy at it, the move knocking it out cold.

I stepped back as the trainer rushed forwards to her Pokémon.

"You wish to make me fight, but yet you put me against trainers. I thought your days if being a gym leader were long gone."

"you managed to counter a mega evolution." He said, not answering me.

"mega evolution?"

"it is what that lucario did. Not much is understood about it, but it allows the user to gain more power though the bond between the Pokémon and their trainer."

"I see." This idea of more power interested me, but not so much the 'bond' part. "How can I obtain this evolution?"

"go with Cassandra." He indicated the nurse that stood by us. I recognised her as the nurse that had been looking after me in the last few days. While I couldn't remember just what she did, I definitely recognised her. She had the same pink hair as a Pokémon nurse, but it was cropped in a short bob; and her uniform was a black one, not the usual pink the nurses wore. "get yourself out of the armour and into a power brace and then come meet me at Carlos' lab." I started to protest at the idea of wearing a power brace, but he put up a hand to silence me. "This is necessary Mewtwo, and it's for your protection more than anything else. I don't want you killing someone or damaging yourself because you had an outburst." I snorted.

"You're one to talk about anger problems." I muttered. He gave me withering look, but said nothing. I sighed and followed the nurse.


	5. Chapter 4

I had only been wearing it for an hour, but when I took my armour off, I felt weak.

As if I had been removed of my power, despite the ironic fact that I had more power outside the armour then I did in it.

Despite all my protests, I later found myself with a power brace, inside the main laboratory. While it was more bearable than the armours effect, it still irritated me that I couldn't have all of my power.

And it still hurt.

There were a few people here, but the lab seemed strangely empty. The occupants all looked up at me when I entered. One of them, a man in a lab coat with a height that contested mine walked over to make, carrying a rather grumpy looking Eevee. I recognised him as the scientist that had interrupted us earlier, Carlos.

"I take it that you're the person in charge here?" I asked.

"Yes indeed! It's such a pleasure to have you here!"

"A pleasure?" I asked wearily. I knew that any scientist worth their salt would have half a dozen theories and experiments to run on me. I daren't think what this one could do once he sank his teeth into me.

"Yes! You are the absolute pinnacle of technology! Do you know how much work was put into you? How many lives taken in the research involved?" He smiled at me, and I couldn't help but shiver. Something about the man hit too close to home. Maybe it was his height, or maybe that he reminded me too much of my dead creator. Everything about his mannerisms reminded me of Dr. Fuji. Right down to the glasses.

"Yes." I replied bitterly. "Having taken some of them myself."

"You don't understand, do you? They very fact that I am here, talking to you means that humanity has become beyond everything they were meant to be! The fact that you didn't die like the dozens before you, or perished to the countless problems that would plague you is simply amazing! Do you know what your estimated lifespan was?"

"No…"

"Three months. You were estimated to survive for three months outside of the control environment. But look at you! You've survived for what, ten years? And six of them in the wild!"

"Yes, I survived, but for what" I glared at him. "Do you know what those six years have felt like? To me, they might've well been an eternity. An eternity of running and hiding. Do you think you were the only ones after me? I've been chased by everything from shadow Pokémon to rouge rangers. I can't even begin to count all the times I've nearly been killed or captured. You didn't create a perfect being; you created a Pandora's Box." He looked at me, taken aback. "I don't want this power! I don't want this responsibility! I would give up everything to be something else!"

"You were an advancement. Every scientific advancement has its risks."

"Yes, I was an advancement. I was humanity's blind step into the art of genetic engineering. But that does not give you a free pass off the crimes I committed. For they are your crimes just as much as they are mine. It is your fault I exist in the first place, and it is your fault that people have been killed. You might've been able to create the world's most powerful Pokémon, but did you scientists ever stop and think whether you should? Or were you to blinded by your own success that you didn't think about that until it blew up in your face?!" I jabbed a finger at his chest.

"Yes, go ahead and run your tests on me. However, do it with the knowledge that in order to get me, you humans brought yourselves down to my level. That you humans had to kill and steal your way to create me. And yet you call me out for the same crimes you committed to make me." I turned away in disgust. "Pride cometh before destruction, but yet you humans never seem to learn." I shot Carlos a glare over my shoulder. "For you just came back with the same pride that brought you down in the first place. I may be under his control in this infernal place, but that does not mean I will put up with your hubris. Continue with it and I will be tempted to put an end to it, along with your life." I leaned in closer to him. "Let what I did to my creators be an example to you."

"You're one to talk about hubris Mewtwo, considering it was that very thing that brought you here. Pride was the thing that brought your downfall at new island. Pride before the fall indeed Mewtwo, and you should know that first hand."

"Pride was not what brought me down!" I exclaimed, spinning around, my glare never leaving him. "I am above all mortal feelings of pride and hubris. What brought me down was a simple miscalculation. A miscalculation I swear I will never make again."

"Such bold words coming from the prisoner" Carlos spat.

"I might be here, but that does not mean I have any qualms about killing you…."

"Gentlemen, while I hate to interrupt your…debate, this is not what we came here for." Giovanni interrupted. Breaking both of us from our argument. Carlo straightened at hearing his boss and fixed his coat and glasses.


	6. Chapter 5

"*ahem* of course." The scientist walked over to a large table full of notes and photos.

"Despite being at least a thousand years old, we know next to nothing scientifically about the process, as it's by its fundamental natural, it is next to impossible to study. It cannot be activated on command, but rather when the bond…."

I stopped listing after he said bond. That was usually the thing scientists said when they didn't know something. There was a cause for something, no matter how complex. I turned to the table. While there was some order to the chaos upon it, everything was mainly in just one giant pile. Something failed to connect to all the other parts.

"What is this?" I asked, holding up a newspaper clipping.

"That?" Carlos took the paper from me. "It doesn't belong here."

"But what is it?"

"it's...not important." He tried to crumple up the clipping, but I telekinetically snatched it out of his hands

"Tell me what it is. If it's not important, why is it in the lab?"

"Fine. It's from another project. One involving the second Mewtwo."

"Pardon?" I asked, not quite comprehending what he said.

"There is another mewtwo in existence. And it may possess the ability to mega evolve." He picked up a sketch off the table. I didn't take it, but stared at him, my mind unable of what to think.

Another Mewtwo.

Another me.

Another mistake.

What had humanity done?

Wordlessly, I turned around towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" I stopped upon hear my master speak.

"If there is indeed another Mewtwo…" I cracked my neck. "We need to do something about it. I am the world's most powerful Pokémon, not Arceus, not mew and certainly not this second clone." He nodded understandingly; and to my surprise, did not stop me.

"Go ahead. Take domino with you. This second Mewtwo could have invaluable information. But remember, this is not a capture mission, just an intel one. Domino should fill you in on the details. Something like this had been in planning for a while, ever since the emergence of this second Mewtwo."

I nodded and left for the armoury.

— — —

I sighed and looked around the glade. It had taken us an hour to make it here though route 20. Domino was waiting in the trees surrounding, for just in case something went wrong.

I looked around for the legendary Pokémon.

"Where are you?" I muttered in irritation. While I might've been fine in the middle of combat, the armour proved to be nothing more than migraine inducing mess when I wasn't fighting.

"You coward." I heard someone spit. I spun around the source of the voice. Standing behind me, arms crossed, was a humanoid, grey figure about my height.

The other Mewtwo.

"Come out of your armour if you want to talk to me." She commanded.

I complied, unlocking the armour and pulling myself free from it; leaving me with nothing to protect me but my power and my wits.

"What have you come here for traitor?"

"Traitor? You are mistaken."

"I do, do I? Then please explain that." She pointed to the red team rocket emblem on the shoulder piece of my armour. "You claim you are most powerful being in the world, but yet you must depend on humans."

"I do not depend on them and you are wrong if you think I went willingly into their grasp." I retorted. "But enough of this idiotic banter."

"Yes, go ahead. Ask your questions. And why should I answer you?"

I faltered for a moment.

"Because I am the only other one of our kind in existence."

She laughed.

"Because you are the only other one of our kind in existence? And what could that ever mean to me? Or," she narrowed her eyes. "Are you more primitive than I thought you were? Are you talking about a mate?"

I shot her a withering look.

"Do you honestly think that I am low enough for such primitive concepts? Do you honestly think that such forces control my mind? I am just as advanced as you are, perhaps even more so."

"Such bold words coming from the Pokémon who cannot even fully control its power." She smirked. "For the elder of us two, you are dreadfully inexperienced."

"I can give you information."

"And what information, pray tell, might you know that I don't?"

"I have been around for much longer than you. I know every inside working of the beings that call this planet theirs."

"I don't care about humans. I do not care about their wars and I do not care about their lives. Unlike you, I do not feel the constant urge to be better than them. I do not have the constant need to destroy and create strife among them like you do. And do you know why?" she leaned in closer to me. "Because I'm not a psychotic monster who killed their creators. I'm not an emotionless beast of destruction who cares only about its power." She took a step back. "You want to know why I can mega evolve? It's because I can control myself. It's because I know who I am. It's because I don't spend my entire life hating humanity and pokékind alike simply because I am different. Face it; you are nothing but a failure."

A failure.

The words sank deeper, much deeper than she thought they did.

I used calm mind in a desperate attempt to prevent my anger from taking a hold of me, but to no avail. I glared at the other genetic Pokémon, wondering just how much damage I could do to her self-righteous face before she mega evolved. I could feel my mind and my breathing speed up as the primal urge to fight started to take control of me.

"You are a pathetic excuse to my species." I said, my voice a rage fuelled calm. "You know not of what I have had to suffer to obtain what I have. You do not know of the pain I have been though, yet you call me a weakling. While I have had to suffer though prejudice and injustice to make myself known, you sit on your fat tail and call yourself superior to me because you can think." I formed a large sphere of azure psychic energy around me as I readied a psystrike attack.

The Pokémon smiled and put up a barrier of violet energy around her. My attack slammed uselessly into her protect, doing nothing.

"So you saying you are superior because you can fight?" she hissed. "I can fight too. And you are a fool if you think you can beat me." A sphere of white energy suddenly surrounded the being.

Wasting no time, I tried to get back into my armour, but I was suddenly grabbed by the purple telekinesis of the newly evolved Mewtwo.

"Fight me like a Pokémon, not like a human. Not like a coward." She spat at me, throwing me to the ground.

I knew that I was hopelessly outclassed in this battle. She'd already taken a large chunk out of my health by simply slamming me down.

I got up.

It did not matter if she was more powerful than I was, I would still fight. She came at me again, a shadow ball hitting my mid-section, sending me flying backwards.

As I collided with the ground, I heard a crack as something broke, sending a sharp stab of pain though me.

The Pokémon de-evolved and walked over to where my now bleeding figure lay.

"I don't even need a mega evolution to defeat you." She held a blade of psyco cut in her right hand.

That was the last thing I saw as she sent the blade into my skull, fainting me and ending the mercifully short battle.


	7. Chapter 6

I walked down the starkly painted corridor, the only sound being the sound of my feet against the cold steel floor.

My power seemed to have returned. I let out a small smile. The nurse had been wrong; there wasn't anything wrong with me. I just needed to get up and out of that room. While it wasn't as plentiful as before, I could just shrug it off as a slow recovery.

I soon reached the office.

If my memory served me correctly, this was the room. I straightened my frame. While I knew that nothing I did could every unnerve the man who lay within, I knew that if I appeared in control, if I showed that I was immune to his words and his lies, I would stand a greater chance of dealing with the man himself, not his façade of deceptions.

I telekinetically shoved the doors open, my powers still weaker than I would've liked.

He was sitting at his desk, examining the contents of a thick white binder. Upon my entrance, his head jerked up and he snapped the binder shut.

He cleared the desk in front of him and put the folder face down next to him.

"Mewtwo. I did not think you'd be out of recovery so soon." He got up and indicated at one of the seats in front of the desk. "Do you want something to do drink?"

I glared at him, my expression not lightening, but I took a seat.

"No thank you." I said, replying to his offer. While the prospect of some alcohol to cleanse my head of the insanity that I had found myself ensnared in was enticing; I needed my head clear for what was to come.

"I have come to ask you something."

"And what is it that drives you out to see me when you've made it very clear you want nothing to do with me?" he inquired, a glass of whisky in his hand. "Do you believe that I have not held my side of the deal? You do not believe you are here of your own will." Upon seeing my nonplussed expression, he smirked. "You may have a way with the mind Mewtwo, but you are o so easy to predict."

I could feel my deformed hands ball up into fists at the sound of the smugness in his voice. Why was it that out of all the people I had killed, why did this one monster survive? He knew very well that I feared him. And I knew that no matter what I did, he'd just come back, acting as if he'd won.

He hadn't changed a bit since he had first approached me on new island.

"You..." he looked at me, indicating for me to continue. "You manipulated me. You knew that I'd be questioning myself if I had been caught. You knew that I'd be prepared to fight, not to think." I got up. All of a sudden, my mind seemed to be clear of the confusion that it had held earlier. "You don't understand what you've done." I said, leaning over his desk, rage making my voice quaver. "I'm Mewtwo. I am the world's most powerful Pokémon. I am not meant to fall. I am not meant to end up helpless in the hands of the one man I swore to never even look at. I don't know what pacts I may have made while under your influence, but I can tell for certain that they are dark ones, ones that we all will ultimately regret."

He sighed and put his drink down.

"Mewtwo, I understand that you are worried. That you feel like everything that you have ever know has been torn apart and is now crashing down around you. I…it's a terrible feeling I know, and it is a shame that you had to feel it." He looked at the binder next to him.

"I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't expect you to turn out like this. He But it's the sad, twisted irony of fate that rules your life, Mewtwo. You ran away because you thought it was the only way to preserve your humanity. But alas, irony has it that the thing you thought would save the human left in you only drove it away further, turning you into what you are."

"The original mind behind your creation didn't want you to be this. She…" he opened the binder and flipped through its pages, stopping only momentarily to read look at a page. "…she wanted you to be nothing but a mindless monster. I thought that something with intelligence would be better, that something that could think and plan would be more use to us than a dumb beast. I do not know if I was right. Maybe it would've been better if you couldn't think. You understand everything. You understand why everyone is trying to get you. You understand the true reason behind your creation. And it all hurts you, doesn't it?" I nodded, unable to say anything. Why was the man that was the mind behind my life trying to reason to me? Why was he acting like this? I frowned slightly, my brow furrowing as I tried to understand him.

"It hurts you. And I should've realised that earlier. That power has given a responsibility that no other being holds and a power no being should hold. And that life is one that would bring any mortal to its knees. It would drive any normal mind to insanity. It is a miracle that you have somehow survived this long. I don't want to control you Mewtwo. I don't want to use you like a weapon. Not anymore. I want to lighten that burden of yours. For as cliché as it may sound, we are more alike than you could possibly ever imagine." He sighed and looked away. "But I am beyond redemption in your eyes, aren't I?" there was silence for a moment, as each of us stood there, unsure of what to say.

Somehow, my mind went back to the dove.

He was saying that once upon a time, before I was even just a simple clone of mew, I could've been like that animal. That I could've been nothing more than a dumb beast, not caring about anything beyond the need to fight and to survive. That I could've been equal to the Pokémon that now shun me as an abomination of human creation.

That once, I could've been normal.

And that he was the only reason why I wasn't.

And now, he somehow wanted to make amend to what he'd done.

I looked at him, dumbfounded. After all he'd done, after what he'd put me though, a plea for forgiveness was the last thing I would've expected from him.

I shook my head, still trying to process what he'd meant.

"You can't be serious…you're making this up. You'd never want forgiveness from me, not after what you did." My gaze upon him resolved back into a cold, icy glare, devoid of all emotion but silently fuming rage.

"You're lying. My forgiveness would mean nothing to you. It would mean nothing coming from your Pokémon."

"If your forgiveness means nothing, why are you here, not locked away safely in a poke ball where I'd have utter control over you?"

I tried to think of a retort, but nothing came. I could not think of a way to answer him.

And in that single moment of helplessness, something changed. All of a sudden, I felt like that everything I had ever fought for had been rendered void, not because I had been caught, but because I have been _wrong_. All of a sudden, it seemed like I had been running away from my only hope of salvation, despite that all logic said that this man was a threat to me.

"You win." I said, finally breaking the silence, whatever moment of lucidness I'd had now gone.

"I…I didn't mean that as an attack against you mew-"

"You didn't defeat me" I let my gaze fall to the ground. "I surrender." I looked him in the eyes. "This freedom I've wanted…freedom is a lonely path Giovanni, and I don't want it anymore. I was nothing more than a desperate soul chasing fool's gold. I thought that anything would be better than what I had been though. I was wrong. Oh so foolishly wrong. For even as I fought you, my voice and will wavered with uncertainty." I sighed again, my energy suddenly gone. "Make me wear the armour again. I won't fight it. Not anymore. I'll be a Pokémon. I'll be a monster." He tilted his head, obviously confused by this sudden change of tone.

"There's something wrong." he murmured.

But even as it came from him, I still wouldn't believe it.


	8. Interlude 1

_Lab journal report #3_

 _Written by Cassandra Ellis joy_

There's something wrong.

Even to the others who aren't as...medically intelligent as me, its obvious that something is wrong. The Pokémon – once a titian that could challenge the gods – now lies defeated at the feet of humanity.

At least, it sometimes does.

It seems to change its mind about its capture with out warning. One second it is as submissive and loyal as a caught Pokémon, and then the next its attacking us, convinced that we've manipulated it.

And in a way, I can't help but think that we have.

The current (and utterly wrong) theory for this is that its mind keeps on switching between a "human" side and a "Pokémon" side. While I can't emphasise enough that this isn't how mewtwo's mind, or its body works at all, it's the only theory we have until we get an actual professional to look at it.

Tests done on it while in both its "Pokémon" and "human" mindsets show that its personality is not the only thing that fluctuates. While it may be more aggressive while as a "human", its weaker than it is as a "Pokémon". I've come to think that this is because while the "Pokémon" mindset's power is fuelled by a will to be the most powerful Pokémon anyone has ever faced, its "human" side appears to have lost all hope, with its anger coming from a desperate need to be in control and the belief that we have exploited it.

I've begun to think that this "human" side is merely when it is most lucid, as its original personality seems to shine though the most while in that "mode".

While we have no question about the fact of its insanity, it seems to think differently. While in "human" mode, it reacts strongly to the suggestion that something is wrong, going as far as attempting to attack me when I suggest it.

While I do not think that the problem is stress related, I've given it some anti-stress medication usually given to freshly caught Pokémon; in a hope that it might lessen the effect. While I did have to disguise them as simple pain medication in order to get the Pokémon to actually take them, they do seem to have an effect. It seems to be more stable, tending to stay in one "mode" for the entire day unless we do something to trigger it otherwise. The two "modes" also seem to be less extreme while under the effect of the drug.

While almost everyone here is seeing this new development as a point of alarm or concern, Carlos doesn't seem to think so. He instead finds this as a "advancement", mainly because while the Pokémon is in its docile "state", it doesn't give any resistance to his experiments, only fear. And while we have already have had one accident where the Pokémon "flipped" in the middle of one of these experiments, breaking an assistants arm, Carlos shows no signs of stopping, despite the very real threat that it might kill us.

I must speak to the boss about Carlos and his "experiments"; before he does the very thing that lead to its escape in the first place.


	9. Chapter 7

I looked around and growled.

This was not what I had wanted at all.

Behind me, I could feel the cold, almost icy gaze of Carlos behind me, watching and observing me.

I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden, I was acutely aware of the scientist, monitoring me and experimenting like I was a lab rattata. Where before I felt fear for what I knew he could do to me, it suddenly turned to rage. I spun around, facing the man. He said nothing, but continued to stare at me, his steely blue gaze making contact with my violet one.

He held the eye contact before smiling and, not looking away, wrote something down in his book.

That was it.

I drew my fist back to punch the man, but it was suddenly yanked back as I felt a cold vine wrap around it. I looked behind me to see a tangrowth had gotten a hold of my arm and was now stopping me from attacking. Behind it stood a female scientist, presumably the Pokémon's trainer. My anger now directed elsewhere, I telekinetically flung the Pokémon away and turned to the scientist. I heard someone yell at me, but I didn't listen to them.

The woman brought out another poke ball, but before she could throw it, I grabbed the ball and her hand and yanked it away, sending her flying across the room. I heard her scream and there was a crack as something broke, but I ignored it. Any reason and logic had been thrown away, leaving me a cold, emotionless beast.

There was another shout and someone tackled me, grabbing the vulnerable flesh of my second spinal cord. I let out a scream of pain as I was brought down to the ground, my head hitting the cold tiles with a loud crack.

The blow instantly knocked me out, sending me back into oblivion.

– – –

I don't know when I woke.

I was vaguely aware of pain, but I couldn't tell where. It seemed to be everywhere, a sharp, throbbing pain that seemed to consume my entire being.

I cracked open my eyes, in a hope that maybe I could find some explanation for my situation. My vision was out of focus, rendering me unable to make out any details of my environment. I could tell I was lying down and that the upper half of my body was covered in a dark red liquid. I blinked my eyes and tried to focus them. Why was I coated in blood? Was it my own?

I tried to sit up, but as soon as I tried to lift my head even a centimetre above the ground, I was suddenly hit with a wave of dizziness, sending me back down to the ground. I lay there, trying to take in what details that brief moment had given me.

I was in some sort of cell, with what might've been glass or something else transparent at the end, letting in light. Beyond that glass, I could make out nothing.

Slowly, my mind started to clear and my senses started to sharpen, but not by much.

There was blood in my mouth, its metallic tang irritating my nose. I spat out the blood and out with it came several hard, white objects.

I looked at what could only be my teeth in utter disgust and fear. What had happened to me that had injured me so gravely?

There was a sudden click and something brought me out of my pained thoughts. I looked upwards to see a figure approach me. I couldn't recognise who it was, but I instantly felt fear towards it. It said something, but I couldn't understand. There was sudden burst of pain over my cacophony of agony as something hit my damaged side, causing me to let out a sudden mew.

Suddenly, there was more yelling and I could just see another figure enter the room. I instinctively curled up into a ball. I couldn't take it anymore. What had happened that had transformed my life into this world of chaos?

What had I done?

For I felt like this was all my fault.

I heard another figure enter the room and the yelling ceased. There was a murmur and then I felt myself being lifted up. My eyes snapped open and I let out a sudden mew of surprise. There was more murmuring but once again, I couldn't understand a thing of what they were saying.

Then once again, I slipped into darkness.

– – –

Then once again, I returned to the light.

My eyes snapped open, all intelligence suddenly flooding back to me. Everything seemed so clear now, so precise.

I tried to jerk upright, but I found myself restrained to whatever I was lying on by a pair of what looked like straps constructed from dark type energy.

I heard frantic movement and suddenly Cassandra appeared in my field of vision. She started to alter something that was just outside of my vision, muttering what appeared to be measurements of some sort. After about a minute or so of that, she straightened and sighed, nodding.

The straps suddenly dematerialised and I managed to sit up. There was silence for a long moment.

I finally broke it by asking the most obvious question.

"What happened?"


	10. Chapter 8

Weeks had passed and I was finally back on my feet after whatever incident had befallen upon me.

An incident I still knew nothing about.

The entire time, my questions on what had happened had been ignored or directed elsewhere or avoided, something that annoyed me to no end.

I sighed and ran my tongue over where two of my teeth were missing. Teeth were hard to replicate and I couldn't do it without my full power, something that annoyed me to no end. The nurse had restricted my power so that I had enough only to speak and do vital body functions.

But while the nurse couldn't tell me what had happened, I knew who could.

I pushed open the doors, this time physically. Now that I didn't have the ability to use telekinesis, my body felt unnaturally frail and it seemed to lack its usual energy. Not to mention the headaches caused by the lack of blood my head was suffering.

He seemed to be expecting me when I entered.

There was silence for a long moment.

"What happened?" I finally asked.

"It's...hard to explain. I had someone disobey my direct orders and...Maybe you should sit down."

I gratefully took the offered chair, collapsing into it.

"You were the test rattata for an experimental drug known as the berserk gene." He took out a vial of something orange and gave it to me. "It's a drug that when properly given, boosts a Pokémon attack in the field. The problem is that all the subjects we've tested it on have...died."

"Died?" I asked, panic tinting my voice. "Of what?"

"Various causes. Some died of over exertion, while others died of body failure. One psychic Pokémon died when their brain exploded. Because of these...disturbing results, I halted all research and testing on it. The point is, it's still unstable, so what possessed him to give you, a one in a kind genetic mutation it is beyond me."

"So, you've taken appropriate actions? Fired him?"

"We can't."

"What do you mean you can't? He disobeyed a direct order! He could've killed me!"

"It's not as simple as that mewtwo. He's the only survivor of your project."

"So it's because he knows things that others don't?"

"Partly..."

"Then I can take his place." I sat up straight in my chair. "I've studied genetics for years Giovanni. You saw my clones at Purity Lake; you know what I can achieve. I have more knowledge about both myself and genetics in general than all of humanity does. Let me take that man's place and be rid of him."

He sighed.

"It's not so simple. Believe mewtwo, if that was all that was to it, I would've done that already."

"Then what is it? Has it anything to do of this 'trust' that you humans are so fond of talking about?"

"It's not that either. Not that I don't trust you but..." He sighed. "it's what he knows. In the entire world, three people alive know how to replicate you. Carlos, yourself and the scientist responsible for project aegis' creation." I raised an eyebrow. "Project aegis crated the other mewtwo you met."

"And that's the problem. If we let him go, there is nothing stopping him from going to the government or, say team galactic and making yet another one of you. And this time, one that is more powerful than you."

"Then remove his memory of me."

"You did that to me in the aftermath of Purity Lake. And did that work?"

"Surely you have something that can alter his memories."

"We don't. And even if we did, the memories are strong ones. You out of people know that memories that are strong are impossible to erase completely."

He had a point.

"Then kill him."

"We can't. He has too many connections. Our secrecy in this region is precarious enough without a death to deal with."

"I can kill him. Then you can say he died in an 'accident'. It obviously worked for you with my creators."

"That was different." He sighed. "Do you not think that I've thought about these suggestions mewtwo? I've thought of all of them, plus a dozen others you haven't said. But the more I look at it, the more it come apparent that he has tied my hands behind my back. He knows we can't dispose of him in any way..."

"And so were stuck with him."

"Yes." I leaned back in my chair. "So I'm meant to spend every day here paranoid that that man will come and experiment on me while you sit by powerless to stop him? I thought you were meant to be my trainer Giovanni. And trainers don't let their Pokémon get hurt unnecessarily. You're meant to protect me."

"I never said I didn't have a plan."

Once again, I stepped into the lab.

After the 'accident' with the berserk gene, I would be kept off the field for another week or three to make sure there hadn't been any side effects.

Enough time for me to get settled into here.

After what had happened, the place had been cleaned up and was once again, up and running.

There were about six people in here at the moment, working on various different things. Two of them were standing in front of a table on which an Eevee lay, sleeping

One of the scientists, a male one with bright blue hair looked up at my arrival and beckoned me over.

"Look at her; isn't she beautiful?" I looked down at the sleeping Eevee. It looked like an ordinary female Eevee, except for a small patch of cream coloured fur shaped like an exclamation mark on her forehead.

The blue hair gave a small smile as if he found something amusing.

"It's all coming around now, isn't it? First experiment 150 and then experiment eon..."

"What do you mean its 'all coming around'?"

"Project Eon was put on indefinite hold after your escape. Now that you're back, it's been revived."

"And what is 'project eon'?" I asked.

"You'll see in a moment. She's waking up."

The Eevee's eyes opened as the Pokémon awoke. The Eevee instantly jumped up and looked at the two humans, fur raised and teeth bared. It slowly turned to me. Upon seeing me, it made a small sniffing noise and sat back down, as if she hadn't just threated to attack the humans.

"That's odd..." One of the scientists said. "she's never done that before."

Ignoring the man, I looked down at the Eevee.

«You're different.» she said

I stuttered for a moment as I tried to remember what little I knew of the Pokémon language.

«I am» I finally managed to say. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the scientists staring at me, obviously confused by the mews coming out of me. It had probably never crossed their mind that I could speak Pokéspeech. It wasn't surprising, as the speech didn't come naturally to me like it did to most Pokémon, something caused by the human part of my mind.

The Eevee jumped off the blanket on which it had been lying and sniffed my hand.

«you smell like me. Are you going to look after me?» I could hear hope come into her voice as she asked that.

I remained silent. I knew what it was like to be looked after by scientists that didn't really care about you and neglected to think about what you were. It had been the downfall of my previous scientists. I had been though the stress of it myself. And I knew that it could kill a lesser Pokémon such an Eevee.

"You're doing this all wrong." I said, looking up from the Eevee.

"And why, pray tell, do you think that you can tell me how to look after my experiments?" Upon hearing the voice, I could see the Eevee go back into an attack stance, prepared to defend itself against the man behind us. I could feel the hairs on my neck and tail raise as my body prepared itself to fight. Instead of turning around and killing him, like I so wanted to do, I just picked up the Eevee and turned around. I could feel the Eevee cower away from him in my arms; I continued to stare at him.

"I'm saying that if you want accurate results, you have to treat your test subjects with more respect."

"And why do you think that you can tell me what to do here?" He leaned closer to me, causing me to wrinkle my nose as his odour of bleach and meat assaulted my nose. "Listen 150, I don't know and I don't care how he's been treating you. I don't care if you think that you are intelligent. Because right now, you are in my domain. And in my domain, you are nothing but a dumb beast. I am through trying to be polite to you. I don't care who you think you are outside of here, but now, you obey me. So give me that Pokémon and get back in-"

"And what made you think that would return here to be your test subject?" I asked, allowing myself a small smirk.

"Because if you think that for even a second that you can bring yourself up to my level, you are either a fool or insane."

"Yes, I am a fool if I think I need to bring myself down to your level of stupidity." I let my smirk turn into a grin, revealing my unnervingly large canines and missing teeth.

"This may be your lab Carlos, but science is my domain."


	11. Chapter 9

I turned away from him and inwardly let out a sigh. I could feel the eevee's against my chest and only then did I notice that I had been squeezing her. This had been a risky plan, and I didn't entirely like it, but he'd pushed it upon me.

I walked over to a table and put the Eevee down, only to have her instantly clamber back into my arms. I looked at it, confusion blatantly displayed over my face. Why would any Pokémon, clone or not, ever want to be near me? I tried to put her down again, but she climbed up my arm onto my shoulder.

Suddenly, the noise of the lab suddenly stopped. The silence enveloped me like a thick blanket. Slicing the abrupt silence was a set of footsteps.

I didn't need to turn around to see that Carlos was returning for a round two.

"One hundred and fifty, I distinctly recall giving you an order." His once disgusted voice had turned as cold as ice. All of a sudden, it carried a rage so great that it seemed to rival even mine. "Put down that Eevee now and come here."

I gritted my teeth and let out a low growl, the only warning he'd get before I'd turn against him.

The eevee suddenly jumped off my shoulder and growled. The footsteps stopped and there was a sudden cry of pain from the eevee and out of the corner of my eye, I could see her being thrown across the room.

I knew I was next.

I heard the footsteps continue and stop right behind me. I could feel his breathing on the back of my head and the rage that he emitted.

"I'm though with giving you chances one hundred and fifty." He spat every syllable of my pokedex number as if it was a foul taste.

I could feel my shoulders tense up for whatever attack he was going to inflict on me. I expected a slap to the back of my head or the jab of a hypodermic.

Instead, I felt his cold fingers grab the unprotected flesh of my external vertebrae. Immediately, a blinding pain hit me as he squeezed my neck, crushing the intricate system of nerves and veins that were placed there. Ignoring my anguished mews of pain, he continued the pressure. My vision lost all its colour and began to darken. My legs suddenly gave out, sending me to my knees on the ground. Still he did not let up. I tried to say something, but I had lost all power by now.

And just when I was on the verge of fainted, he suddenly dropped me. By then, the only thing keeping me up was his hold on my neck.

But while the pressure ceased, the symptoms did not.

He'd broken too much and the blood that I needed failed to get to my head.

I could hear someone shout something at me, but my senses were too faint to tell what it was or even who it was.

Once again, my world faded into darkness.

Slowly, my world returned to focus. I had been in and out of consciousness so many times since my capture that I no longer started with surprise as I once again found myself in the infirmity. As I tried to bring my mind into full consciousness, I did a quick scan of my body to if I had sustained any long term damage from earlier. While my mind was still in need of sleep and I was hungry, nothing seemed to be permeantly damaged.

Nothing physical at least.

Who knew how my mind had suffered from that attack.

I let out a small groan and opened my eyes.

I was, once again in the infirmary. Instantly, I noticed that a large part of my face was covered with an oxygen mask. I could see Cassandra standing next to me, concern and pity in her eyes. She aid something, but my hearing was strangely faint. I struggled and managed to sit up straight. And stopped.

At the end of the bed sat a white dove. It gave a small coo, causing my head to jerk upwards. Startled by my sudden movement, it started and flew off. But as it did, I noticed one thing.

The ends of its wings were stained a deep hue of blood red.

I collapsed back onto the bed, my mind trying to make sense of all of this. I had seen that dove too many times for it to be just coincidence.

I wasn't able to think about it anymore as sleep suddenly took me.

I don't know when, but I didn't awake from my dreamless sleep until much later. Opening my eyes, I could see that the mask was gone and that it was dark out. I still felt a little tired, but beyond that, I felt fine. I sat up, noting that my movement was still restricted by several tubes that were connected to my back and head. I looked around.

And instantly regretted it.

Carlos smiled.

"Look who finally returned to the land of the living." He walked over to me. I tried to get out of the bed, but I appeared to be strapped to it.

"You really don't get it, do you?" he asked, taking my head in his hand. I squirmed to avoid meeting his gaze, but his grip was stronger. My anger turned to fear and panic as he held me like that, his eyes never wavering from mine, never breaking the contact.

"It's about time someone put you in your place one hundred and fifty. I don't know what insanity you have succumbed to, but I assure you, I will break you out of it, Pokémon." I could feel the blood drain from my face as loomed over me. I tried to say something, but my mind lacked all coherent thought, rendering all psychic powers useless.

"Let go of Mewtwo." Another voice suddenly said.

Carlos turned around, but didn't release my head.

"Ah Giovanni. How nice of you to return."

"Let go of Mewtwo." The man said, ignoring Carlos.

Carlos obeyed, letting my head fall back onto the bed.

"What do you think you are doing to my Pokémon?"

"Teaching it a lesson. You are much too liberal about how you treat your Pokémon."

"Perhaps that it because Mewtwo is not just a Pokémon."

"And why is that? Is that because you are scared of it? Because you are scared of its power?" Carlos spat. "We are humans Giovanni. These Pokémon are meant to obey us. Not the other way around."

"I will treat my Pokémon how I see fit. Not how your ideals think I should."

"You are truly an ineffective leader if you think that this foul monster should be shown any respect. It deserves none."

"That Pokémon has enough power within it to raze this entire planet and yet you say it does not deserve respect?"

"Yes. Because it, like any other being in this world, can be taught fear. And fear is the best restraint, not trust, not love nor kindness. It once feared you. But now look at it. It no longer fears anyone. Anyone but me. If you want any hope in controlling it and using it, you need to make it fear you. And this," he waved a hand as my terrified form. "Is how you do it."

"I will not allow this."

"Then you are a weak fool." Carlos gave a small smirk. "If this is how you think you should treat this abomination, I don't blame silver for leaving you."

There was a long silence.

"You. Leave now. I will deal with you later." I could hear the sheer rage in his voice as his composure cracked.

Carlos wordlessly left the room.

Giovanni sighed and walked over to me.

I was breathing so fast in fear that I was in danger of hyperventilating. That man was right, no matter how much I hated it.

I feared Carlos.


	12. Chapter 10

Once again, as soon as my wounds had healed to the slightest extent, I was whisked away back into a world of battles and power, although this time, it thankfully lacked Carlos. I'd managed to keep my distance from that abhorrent man and his experiments.

But I knew that the fragile peace I had found would not last for long.

But I ended differently to what I had anticipated.

Instead of the usual battlefield that I usually ended up at during the day, I had been led to a conference room. It was about half full by the time I had entered. It was filled with various executives and a few agents. Someone, a red haired woman who I recognised as Ariana, beckoned me over to seat next to her.

I suddenly felt very conspicuous in my full set of armour. I took of my helmet, allowing to have a full view of the room, unobstructed by the visors edge.

Finally, everyone sat down. At the end of the table closets to me, my master finally looked up from his notes and cleared his throat.

"I suppose you've all heard the rumours."

There was a few heads nodding, mainly from the executives.

"And its true. Both of them." He smiled and gestured at me. "Mewtwo has returned." Everyone's heads suddenly turned to me.

I nodded and gave everyone a long hard look, but even though that I couldn't but smirk a little.

"And so that brings us to the second one." He shuffled some papers. "we are relocating our headquarters." There was a shocked silence.

I could see why.

Ever since its founding long ago, beyond my caring, team rockets main base had always been in Kanto.

"I can imagine that most of you are quite shocked at this news, and to be quite honest, I'd rather stay here as well. But ever since the mew trip and subsequently, Mewtwo's creation, our secrecy in this region has been sketchy at best. And so, we are relocating to Unova."

Across from me, I could see domino's eyes suddenly widen in surprise.

"why Unova?" she suddenly blurted.

"several reasons. First of all, outside of Kanto and Jhoto, our power has been strongest in that particular region. Second of all, ever since team plasma's dissolution, there has been a large power gap that I believe we could fill. A gap so large that I must be present to make sure things do not snowball out of control like they have done in the past. And lastly," he smiled. "due to America's arrogance and dependence on their own secret services, the international police have the least control there out of all the standard trainer regions."

A man from further down the table wearing a parka muttered something about Russia and the base there.

"we will be relocating to Castelia city. More information will be given out at a later date. Dismissed." He got up.

"Eris, Mewtwo, domino, can I speak to you?" I exchanged confused glances with the agent as we were joined by an executive. She wore a nondescript white suit and had long, wavy black and white striped hair.

"while the actual move wont be happing till next year, I need to send you two over now in order to get some minor…disputes settled."

Domino grinned.

"you want us to go over there and kill a bunch of people, maybe explode some stuff…"

"yes. We need to establish that we own the region, not whatever team thinks that they do. Also, Mewtwo, you're going with her. We need you to be as conspicuous as possible in the underworld.

Give them a reason not to cross with us. Explode some stuff, kill people; I don't care what you do. As long as you do it and don't attract the attention of the law. Although, given what were dealing with, that's not very likely. While you are in Unova, executive Eris will be in charge of you two." The woman nodded at us. "you are dismissed."

I looked up and sighed.

This would be last time I would battle in Kanto for a long time. And the last time I would battle under a trainer for a while.

I smiled a little as my opponents final Pokémon succumbed to my psywave, ending the match.

I turned away, with the intention of retiring for the day when a voice brought me back to the battle.

"hey!"

I turned to face the source of the voice. It was a trainer of about sixteen with bright red hair and a sneasel partner Pokémon.

I could feel surprise emanate from the man next to me as his composure slipped for a moment.

"Silver?"

"who else father?" he stormed up to us.

As he walked, another Pokémon appeared. A yellow mouse Pokémon.

I froze as I saw who the Pikachu was.

No…» I heard the Pokémon say. «You can't of…» the pikachu suddenly rammed into me with a force that no natural Pokémon should have.

Then again, it wasn't a natural Pokémon.

«What did you do?» he hissed. «You betrayed us.»

«I didn't betray you. All that happened in the past is, and shall remain the past.»

«Look at you!» the clone spat. «After so many years of fighting, thinking that what we were doing was right, you turn around and join the very organisation you nearly sacrificed you life to keep us away from. Are you no better than the cowardly humans that try to capture us?» I could see tears start to well up in his eyes

«I let myself be enslaved so we could turn against them and fight! But as soon as I did, as soon as I gave us a chance to defeat them once and for all, you turn against us! I once worshipped you! I once

thought you were a god! But it seems like that even our own legends are just as twisted and corrupted as man itself.» the Pokémon got up on its hind legs and turned away.

«Consider yourself dead in our eyes mewtwo. I don't care if you created us. You are nothing but another tool of team rocket in our eyes.»

I couldn't say anything as the Pokémon talked. He was right. I had betrayed everything I'd ever fought for. I had lost the one thing that had every really mattered to me.

«There's more to this than you can see.» I took off my helmet and lowered myself onto one knee, letting me see eye to eye with the Pokémon.

«I cant spend my entire life running, I cant. They managed to catch me and...» I sighed. «...it was either this or spend the rest of my life under the unbearable restraints of a master ball. And–» I shuddered as a memory flashed through my mind. «–I refuse to go back to that torturous life.»

«It doesn't matter if it meant being put in a master ball!» the Pokémon spun around to face me. «You should've let yourself succumb to that fate! You should've gone down fighting as a martyr, not surrender as a coward! No matter how you disguise the truth, it all boils down to one thing.»

Suddenly the Pokémon flew at my face, its tail hardened into iron as he hit me with it. The attack was slammed against my face with enough force to crack my jaw. It did a neat somersault backwards and inspected the damage he had done to my face.

«You failed.»

AN - "this is normal speech/telepathy."

«this is pokemon speech»

sorry I didn't mention this earlier


	13. Chapter 11

Returning to infirmary, I collapsed on the bed, tired from the day's exertions.

My jaw was no problem, and I could already feel the ache of recover as my body automatically repaired the fracture.

However, my body couldn't heal all the damage the Pokémon had done.

Sighing, I telekinetically picked up the blanket. I had been injured so many times while here that the place had become where I slept, not wherever my room was, if I had one.

I lay there, for a long time, trying to get to sleep.

But that night, I knew sleep was impossible.

I tried not to think about what had happened, tried to forget what it'd said.

But that was impossible.

He'd torn apart every defence I had.

While the choice had been mine at the end of the day, it had taken much more than that to for me to accept my fate.

I had everything I'd ever believed in torn from me. And yet they still thought I was weak. They still thought I was weak when everyday was a fight much greater than Purity Lake could ever be.

I got up.

There was no sleep for me. I knew.

And for how long, I did not know.

I walked along the winding corridors, the only illumination being the blue glow of the ball of psychic energy I held. Eventually, I ended up in a lounge of some sorts. I extinguished the ball and sat down on one of the chairs.

The place was eerily silent. I hadn't noticed before how quite the place could get because I had always been so tired.

Somehow, the silence scared me.

I curled myself into a ball, the primal fear of the dark that every psychic has starting to set in.

I didn't notice her until she was right next to me.

«Having second thoughts?»

I started as I noticed the Persian sitting in front of me, red irides staring at me.

«No, no, it's just...» I sighed. «I thought I had started afresh. That no one would remember what I did. Or rather, who I once was.»

«Not all of us are so lucky Mewtwo. And it seems you are one of those people.» She got up. «Here. Follow me. I want to show you something.»

I got up and followed the cat. She padded silently down the corridors, until she reached a door I had never seen. She pushed it open, revealing a staircase. She started to walk up it and beckoned me after her. It lead upwards, until it finally ended at another door. The cat went through this door too.

It lead out onto a platform right next to the river south of celadon city.

The Persian sat down at the edge of the platform, her tail trailing in the water as it lazily streamed by. I sat down too and let my tail do the same, its bulbous tip floating like a buoy in the water.

We sat there in silence for a moment.

«What did you want to show me?» I finally asked.

«The sky.» I looked upwards.

«What's so special about it?»

«It's just…» she sighed «I know that no matter what happens, it'll be there. It'll always be there, watching over me. I don't know what gods are up there, or even if they exist at all, but I know that it'll always be there to comfort me. But that's what I see. What do you see?»

«I just see stars and the moon. They remain the same, no matter what happens. I suppose they'll always be like that. In your lifetime at least. Who knows how long I'll live.»

Silence again.

«Why do you see him as your enemy still?» she suddenly asked.

«Because he is.»

«He's not.»

«Of course, you'd say that. He's your master.»

«Do you know why he's my master?» She sighed. «He rescued me. And in a way, he rescued you. Do you remember what he said when you first met him?»

«That I was a wildfire.»

«Before that. He said your creators were fools. Do you know what they would've done to you had you not killed them, had he not taken you away?»

«They would've experimented on me.»

«Exactly. What's worse? Being an experiment or being a fighter?»

«He had his own agenda.»

«And so did they.» The Persian looked at me. «Do you know what you were to him?»

«A slave. A Pokémon at best.»

«That's not true. Especially after silver left, you were the only thing that mattered. And when you left…why do you think he put so much effort into finding you again?»

«Because I was a project that had cost him millions of poke.»

«because you were the last thing he had that wasn't a failure. I'd say that he saw you as a Pokémon, but you'd take it the wrong way.» she sighed. «look at yourself. Do you really wish you were back in the wild? Do you really wish you were back out there, being chased by every trainer and villain that knew about you?»

I paused, unable to reply. I didn't want to go back to the wild, but then again, I resented this ownership as well.

«you can't have it both ways Mewtwo. You just can't. You have to give some things up. We all have to.» the Persian sighed. «Freedom is not as sweet as you think it is Mewtwo.»

I couldn't bear the conversation anymore.

«I need to go. I'm leaving tomorrow and…» I began to say, but the feline cut me off from my excuse.

«you cannot hide from the truth forever Mewtwo. None of us can.» she looked away from me, to the moon.

«I'm not hiding from the truth.» I said, turning back to the Persian. «You don't know what it's like.»

«I don't know what what's like?»

«what it's like to be a shadow. What its like to be a reflection and what it's like to be a copy. An imperfect copy of greater being.» I looked up at the moon.

«you are right. I don't. And I never will. Just in the same way you'll never know what love and hope is. But you need to ask yourself – who are you reflecting?»

«mew of course. Is that not obvious? I am nothing more than an incomplete, hollow shell of my donor.»

«are you sure it is mew and not humanity you are reflecting?»

«What are you saying?»

«I am saying that maybe you've been thinking the wrong way. Maybe if you stopped looking at the individual elements of your life and looked at it as a whole, you'd see that you're not as hollow as you think.»

«Maybe…» I muttered.


	14. Chapter 12

I could see every street and every building mapped out in front of me from my vantage point. Bellow, I could see people scurrying around below like durants despite even the late hour.

Pulling my cloak around me, I turned around to face the front of building. While the building did house the headquarters of the powerful monopoly silph co. – it was not my goal.

Not for tonight.

Adjusting my cloak so that it concealed the bag on my back, I turned to the north, where the outskirts of the city slowly faded into the sandy expanse of the route beyond. Just visible from below the skyscrapers, was a small, half-constructed building.

That was my goal.

I took off running across the roof, and with a telekinesis assisted leap, I made it over the street below and onto the roof of a smaller building. Mentally plotting a route across the buildings, I dashed off in the direction of my goal.

The mission was a simple one. The building housed a small base for the sliver arcanines, the group that currently had Unova in its control. I would go in, confront the leader and then blow it up to kingdom come.

Simple.

I continued my run, not stopping even to take out a security camera with a controlled shot of psychic energy.

The silver arcanines were a group of narcotics producers and dealers and while they where big, they were disorganised. A shot in the right places would send them crashing down. And while team rocket focused on weapon and Pokémon smuggling, we had to take them out if we ever wanted to be a force to be reckoned with here.

The next roof wasn't so alone as the other ones had been.

Two figures stood on it, but I didn't stop to figure out why. I continued running, a pair of blue blades of psychic energy forming in my hands. When I was level with them, I threw them, each blade hitting their target in the heads of the loiterers.

I didn't look back as I heard the lifeless bodies fall to the roof with a dull thud.

I was at the outskirts now.

I jumped off the building, letting my legs take the force of the fall and sprinted forwards. One I had found myself some cover, I opened the bag.

While psychic blades were all well and good, it could not match the damage blades of steel and lead bullets could do. And while telekinesis can be stopped and diverted, I have yet to meet a being – excluding myself – that can stop a bullet in mid-air. I brought out a long, silver blade about as long as my forearm and a black pistol. While I usually detested guns due to the myriad of things that could go wrong while wielding one, here it wasn't really a choice. Making sure the gun was loaded, I swung the bag back onto my shoulder.

It was time.

Quickly climbing over the wire fence that surrounded the place, I made my way to the centremost part of the building-yard. Right in front of me was a cement trapdoor, only distinguished by the surrounding ground by a faint, spray-painted line of orange.

I telekinetically lifted the door, revealing a narrow hole downwards into the base.

I silently dropped down it, letting the door close behind me.

The dim lighting of the place revealed I was in a corridor with several doors along it. I took off my bag and telekinetically removed the last batch of objects from it – about a dozen black, explosive charges.

Looking around the place, I made some mental calculations. Given the structure of the place, it wouldn't take much to bring it down. I walked down the corridor, stopping occasionally to place a charge next to an iron roof support or strap it onto a section of wall.

The place smelt of dust and some chemical I didn't recognise. As enlightened as I was in science, the only parts of chemistry I had cared to learn about was natural chemistry, not meth lab.

Having run out of charges, I reached what appeared to be the main room. No doubt the leader of this base would reside here.

I paused. The place was suspiciously empty, even for just a small base.

Holding both my weapons to the ready, I slammed open the door.

This room was much more elaborately decorated than the rest of the bae, with the stone floor giving away to carpet and the grey walls now painted in a complex mural of some sort.

I could hear the door shut behind me. But my attention had been diverted elsewhere.

This was where everyone was.

Half a dozen men and women stood around me in a loose semi-circle, making up what I guessed was the places security. All of them were armed with large guns.

I didn't take the time to guess what kind they were.

I instantly sprung into action, diving to my left, driving my blade into the man's throat, sending him to the ground as I slammed my full weight into him. I fired off my gun, sending a bullet through a woman's head.

Suddenly, I found myself in the centre of a hailstorm of bullets. Concentrating, the bullets suddenly slowed to halt mid-air as I directed their momentum elsewhere. The bullets dropped out of mid-air and I was slammed into the wall behind me as all the energy I had just taken from the projectiles was suddenly directed into my body.

Using my newfound momentum, I threw myself away from it and back into the fray.

Now back among the guards, I lashed my tail out, causing a sharp snap as I broke one of the guards spines.

It didn't matter who it was now.

I could feel the europhia caused by battle start to take hold of me as threw the knife again and unleashed two more shots. Both projectiles found their targets, felling three more of my opposition.

But my manic happiness did not last long.

There was a sudden sound as the last guard fired his gun at me, sending a spray of bullets into my arm and shoulder.

The europhia vanished in an instant and I was suddenly overcome with a cold fury, directed at my lone assailant. The man, having realised what he'd done, suddenly dropped his weapon and threw up his hands, in what I could only assume was a gesture of surrender.

A gesture which I promptly ignored.

I sent the knife into his neck, spraying me with still warm blood. The man made a choking noise and slumped down to the ground, dead.

Taking a step back, I surveyed the carnage. While this was all well and good, I had yet to locate or kill the leader of this base.

I took a moment to look down at my wounds.

The man had done more damage than I thought he had. Five bullet wounds slowly bled on my back, and while four of them were located on my arm and shoulder, one had hit uncomfortably close to the nexus of nerves and vessels at where my external neck met my body. If it had been a few millimetres closer, it would've hit the nexus, killing me or, best case scenario, paralysing me. I sighed and closed the wounds, not removing the bullets. While the idea of being knocked out and them having someone dig around in my flesh, especially so close to my neck was not appealing at all, the alternative was removing it by telekinesis, an act I did not want to try given its proximity and the amount of pain I'd have to go though in order to remove it.

I took off my cloak and examined it, noticing the amount of blood - both my own and my assailants - that had collected on it. Inwardly groaning, I put the cloak in the bag. It would be nigh impossible to get the blood out of it. then again, given what the cloak had survived, no one would notice anyway.

My head snapped up as I suddenly heard the door to the room open. The man that entered stopped and looked at the mess that I had caused in shock.

"you're not human..." He said, looking at me with fear in his eyes.

"what gave that away?" I said sarcastically as I pointed my gun at his head.

"no human would ever fight like that..." He never got to finish the sentence. A bullet though his head was much more of an effective silencer than any threat could be.

Observing my handiwork, I turned away. Part one was done. Now to blow it all up.

As I walked though the corridor, several people had gathered, probably from the noise coming from the room I'd just been in.

They didn't remain there for long as they scattered at the sight of my bloodied body. Those who didn't were quickly taken down with a swift action from my knife.

They were all going to die anyway.

Once I was out, I pulled out the final item from my bag, a detonator. I didn't actually know what kind of explosives I'd been given, just that they'd "do the job."

Throwing up a psychic defensive barrier, I pressed the button.

There was a sudden, ear shattering bang and the ground where the base had been suddenly fell in upon itself, tongues of flame suddenly flung upwards as the base collapsed into unidentifiable rubble.

I smiled and turned away.

Mission accomplished.


	15. Chapter 13

I winced as I set myself down on the hospital bed. While the bullets hadn't affected me at first, they'd slowly made themselves known, causing my shoulders to ache and my power to randomly falter. I let out a slow, drawn-out mew of pain as the nurse inserted a tube of some sort into my arm.

Domino was watching me disapprovingly form the doorway.

"you shouldn't have done that."

"the base is down, the leader dead, what more is there to it?"

"you got shot."

"I can be fixed."

"you might be able to be fixed now, but what about when it's a bullet through your head your dealing with?" She walked over to me. "you shouldn't have enraged the guards. You should've gassed them."

"but where's the fun in that?" I grinned.

"this isn't meant to be 'fun'."

"well, don't you find your work 'fun'?"

"not the killing part. No sane man would take pleasure in killing another. I may be ruthless, but I am not a psychopath."

"pardon?" I asked in sudden surprise. "One isn't meant to take pleasure in killing?" I could still the ember the almost dizzying happiness I had felt in the base...

"one isn't..." I could see her anger give away to fear as she looked at me. "only a madman would take pleasure in ending life."

I could see the looks she and the nurse next to me were giving and I could see where this was going.

"I am not insane." I said, conviction in my voice. I tried to pick up domino, but my powers were weak and scattered from the bullet lodged in my neck. "I am not."

"hey, hey, calm." The nurse said, trying to calm me.

"do you think I am insane?"

The nurse paused, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry Mewtwo," I heard a new voice say. "but all evidence seems to point to the contrary." I jerked my head around as I heard Cassandra enter the room.

Instantly, upon this confirmation, I felt my body tense up as I redid myself to attack my insulter. But Cassandra didn't back down.

"it's ok." She said, taking my shoulders. "we can help."

"there's something wrong. Sorting wrong with me." Once again, I could feel myself slide back into that strange submissiveness that had haunted me since I first returned.

"but we can fix that. We can help you."

"I... I don't want any help. I'm fine." I tore myself away from the nurse and tried to curl up. All of a sudden, I wanted to be alone. I needed to somehow assure myself that I was sane, that she was wrong. She wasn't a psychologist. How would she know?

Someone touched me, but I only curled up tighter. There was talking outside and then the sudden pain of a needle.

And then slowly, darkness returned.

I finally awoke.

My mind was slow and my vision blurred, but I somehow felt safe. I tried to roll over and fall back asleep, but a hand shook me, disturbing me. I groaned and rolled onto my back and opened my eyes.

My vision was still blurred, but it slowly grew in clarity. My shoulder ached from where the bullet had been and my head ached from whatever anaesthesia they'd put in me. Putting a hand to my aching head, I groaned again and tried to look around.

The right side of my upper torso was swathed in bandages, the result of the operation I had just been subject to. Turning my mind to my internals, I saw that the bullet was gone, leaving only broken and torn flesh and bone in its wake.

It would take weeks, months even to heal for a person.

But I wasn't exactly human.

Ignoring the sudden protest of the nurse in the room, I closed my eyes and concentrated, reforming the networks of muscle and arteries and cartilage that both the bullet and the surgeon's knife had destroyed. Out of all the injured I had suffered while here, from a cracked skull to a crushed neck, these bullet wounds were the lightest and easiest to heal ones I'd had.

I opened my eyes again, the holes now healed. My mind and sight was back to speed again, restoring me to full capacity once again. I unwound the bandages, revealing that the wounds had indeed healed, leaving only a large, diagonal scar on the right side of my back as the aftermath of whatever medical procedure they'd done on me.

Groaning a little, I flexed the shoulder to make sure everything was working. The scar tissue would be problematic for my movement, but yet it would take more energy than I was willing to expend just to heal it back into skin.

 _Yet another thing to recover._ I thought bitterly as I sucked at the space where one of my teeth had been. I had still yet to find the time and energy to regrow them.

Ignoring the protests of the nurse, I got out of the bed and walked towards the door. I was healed. there was nothing more to do here.

My back still ached a little as a walked down the corridor. Ignoring it, I brought up a map of the place in blue psychic projection. Right now, I needed something to eat and to sleep.

"you're out early." I turned to my left and saw the woman in charge of the base next to me, keeping up with my long strides.

"what did you expect?"

"I understand you got shot. It usually takes more than a day to recover from bullet wounds."

" _usually_. Usually doesn't apply to me."

"true, true." She paused. "I heard something about the mi—"

"I am not insane." I snapped, stopping my pace. I don't know how, but I could tell where this conversation would lead. "I don't know what you've been told, but I am not insane."

"then what are you?" she asked.

I tried to say something, but I didn't know what. All of a sudden, I wanted to be alone. I wanted to go back onto the field and fight something, fight _anything._

I teleported away, into the room which was mine.

It was simply furnished, with a bed and a desk and chair. It was more than I expected. On one side, there was a large mirror, reaching from the floor to the roof and about a metre wide.

I sat down on the bed, my head light from the exertions of before. I blankly looked into the mirror, observing my reflection. My hand subconsciously went to the two, vertical scars on my neck, marking where my collar usually went.

My entire body looked different. Small things that seemed to change everything about how I looked. My one almost skeletal frame, caused by years of near starvation and stress, now actually had some visible muscle on it.

But that was not what got my attention.

My eyes, once a vibrant shade of amethyst, seemed dimmer and less bright, having faded to a shade of dull violet.

I lay back down on the bed, hoping that sleep would come easily.

It didn't.

I couldn't get my mind of what she'd said. I wasn't insane. Out of all the things I had broken, my mind wasn't one of them. I couldn't have broken it. It was the last thing I had in this place.

I don't know how I fell asleep that night.


	16. Chapter 14

Something awoke me. I didn't know what, but something in my mind forced me to consciousness.

It was dark. Someone had obviously been in here and turned off the lights. But that wasn't what had awakened me.

out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dull, while shape rush by, as if running from something. my only guess was it was the dove, or more likely, whatever divine being had decided to appear before me as one.

My thoughts were shattered as all of a sudden, someone grabbed me from behind.

I tried to yell out, but my attacker had clamped a hand over my mouth.

"don't move." A voice said. "I'm not going to attack you. Do you understand?" I nodded.

"good. I'm going to let you go now. Do not turn around. I need you to be quiet, listen to me and only speak when required to. Understand?" once again I nodded.

The man let go of me and I turned around. I let out a small gasp as once again, I could breath.

"I need you to listen. I am going to get you out of here. I need you to follow my exact instructions if you want to make it out."

"who are you?"

He paused for a second.

"I'm an agent for an organisation. I've been here several years, waiting for them to recapture you."

"but who are you?"

"I work for... I can explain everything else later. But right now, I need to know - are you with me?"

I nodded without a second thought. I had all but given up on the hope of ever being free again.

"what do I need to do?"

"I need you not to scream." He said as he injected something into my back.

Darkness.

That's all I saw.

I struggled to sit up. Had that all been a dream, a fantasy concocted by my mind?

I tried to out a hand to my head, but I stopped before I did.

I wasn't in the infirmary. Neither was I in my room. So where….

The question was answered before I had thought it. Suddenly, the lights in the room flared into action.

I was lying on the floor. Several people surrounded me, each one a faceless being to despise in my eyes.

My mind suddenly turned to my instincts, which all told me to take flight.

But with nowhere to go, all I could do was panic as they moved closer to me.

One of them said something, but I didn't understand. I growled slightly at the person and tried to lash out at him with my tail. I missed it, unbalancing me.

One of them said something.

And then suddenly, I returned to intelligence.

All dependence on my instinct was cast away and suddenly I could think again.

One of the people, a woman said something which this time I understood.

"it worked."

I turned to face the speaker. I could see their faces now.

I did not recognize them.

Another one took a radio of some sort from his belt and spoke into it.

"experiment one hundred and fifty is conscious. I repeat, it is conscious. Lower the blast shields."

Blast shields?

"what…" I asked, but it was lost in the cacophony that the room was suddenly thrown into.

And then, through the chaos, a man walked over to me.

I snarled, my instincts suddenly flooding back to me.

Carlos.

He walked over and kneeled down to be level with my form.

"calm." He said, putting a hand on me, steadying me.

I didn't notice it. For something else had caught my attention.

He now had the same voice as the person that had rescued me earlier.

"you…you…" I stuttered, trying to comprehend what this all meant.

"I was the one who rescued you."

"but…" my hand went to my outer neck, where he had nearly strangled me only mere weeks ago.

"that was all an act. And while I certainly did not enjoy it, it was the only way of preserving my image."

But as he said it, there was something about it that made me pause. It wasn't anything. It was rather what it lacked. I started to say something, but he cut me off.

"it was all an act. Mewtwo. Nothing more."

an act.

It was all an act.

Even when he nearly killed me.

"you nearly killed me." I breathed. I drew away from his hand, my fear slowly returning. He could've killed me. He could've damaged me. And yet here he was, saying that it was all an act.

I didn't know if I could believe him.

"why am I here?"

"we've been watching and waiting for you to come for years." I heard another voice say. "you forced our hand to move early though. but we can hardly blame you for that."

a man walked up to me. he was wearing a plain, silver suit and looked decidedly out of place among the scientists around us.

"allow me to introduce myself." he said, as a large arcanine padded up beside him. "this is the capture and retrieval division of the international police. we have just retrieved you from the organisation you know as team rocket."

"what is going on?" I tried to stand up, but my legs were unresponsive for some reason.

"we are assessing the damage caused by both team rocket and your carelessness. you are a delicate thing but yet the scraps you have gotten yourself into are just ridiculous." he pointed at a long, thin, almost invisible scar running across my 'breastplate' of hardened skin.

"that was caused by a pokemon hunter. not my fault."

"yes, well...get it patched up and then see me. for the time will come to talk of many things."

I gave him an incredulous look.

"out of all the things you could have quoted…" I muttered.

the man let out a long, exasperated sigh. turning to leave, he took one last look over his shoulder at me.

"welcome to the international police one hundred and fifty."

I couldn't help but cringe as he said that.

But as he walked away, something floated down from behind him.

a single, blood-soaked feather.

I couldn't help but cringe as he said that.


	17. Chapter 15

I don't know what happened next.

for the next few weeks, my mind was a chaotic mess, constantly slipping in and out of consciousness as they ran their tests and did whatever they were doing.

not that it mattered.

I was safe.

that nightmare that had once been my life was now over and I could finally move on.

and because of that, I let myself endure what would have seemed like torture. I endured their tests and the pain they put me though. all because I thought they were helping.

but one thing seemed off. one thing was usually absent from what was all but torture I was going though.

the dove had finally disappeared.

— — —

and then, one day, in a rare moment of lucidness, it was all shattered.

the man with the arcanine I had seen at the beginning had entered my 'room' and after directing all the scientists out, turned to me.

"and so, here we are." he said, indicating at me. I remained silent. I didn't know what to say.

"it wasn't easy." he continued. "and it was ridiculously dangerous. but here you are, now within our reach, ready to continue the fight against them."

"against whom?" I finally asked.

"team rocket, Russians, terrorists, does it matter? all that does is that we now have the weapon to do that. we now have the one thing that can truly rule the world."

I sighed and got up.

"as much as I would like to continue my fight and as much as I am indebted to you, I am afraid I will have to decline the offer you are about to make. I...I" I looked up and away from the man. "I've had the very foundations of what I believe in shaken. I need a year or two to sort things out, make amends to those I have harmed—" my mind flashed back to the other clone, aegis. I had to make peace with her. I could not go through life with and equal such as her chasing me. I had to explain that I was merely foreshadowing her future. that if she continued down the road she found herself on, she'd only end up where I was. "—I need to reconsider who I am and all my choices." I turned away from him. "and so, I decline."

"but who said you had a choice in the matter?" I froze, my breathing momentarily stopping. I could feel cold dread suddenly fill me.

"what do you mean I do not have a choice in the matter?" I turned around. "I am the world's most powerful Pokémon. even within the company of my enemies, I was treated as an equal, as a being to be listened to. are you saying that you are not granting me the same respect that even my nemesis gave me?"

"yes. for at the end of the day, you are a Pokémon. and all 'free' Pokémon are within our jurisdiction. that. includes. you." he punctuated the statement by poking me in the chest.

"you have no choice in whether you fight or not. for when you are here, you are within our command, no matter if you are in a ball or not." she smiled. he wasn't done yet. "and even if you find some loophole that says otherwise, we still have utter command over your decisions."

"and what delusion gave you that idea?"

"your delusion. for no insane man can be trusted to make the right choices."

I took a step back in surprise as if I had been physically hit. out of all the things he'd said, that one had hurt the most.

that was it.

my vision suddenly sharpened and my mind suddenly sped up as rage and adrenaline suddenly took control of me. I had been pushed around for too long, been told nothing but lies and half-truths. I lept at him, a large ball of energy forming in my hands, enough to be lethal to him.

and then, all of a sudden, I stopped.

my muscles suddenly tightened, leaving me unable to move. I fell to the ground, my limbs uncontrollably spasming. I tried to let out a mew of pain and fear, but my mind had lost all coherent thought.

and then, as suddenly as it began, my thrashing stopped, and my throat suddenly let out a long, agonised, primal scream of pure agony and sheer terror. it echoed around the cell long after it had stopped.

I tried to bring my limbs into a foetal position in a last ditch effort to protect myself, but my body didn't respond, leaving me sprawled across the floor.

the man let out a small noise of triumph and walked over to my fallen form.

"do that again and it will be worse next time. understand?" I didn't reply. my mind was still in shock from the attack.

I wasn't safe.

and I couldn't trust anybody.

"do you understand?" he reiterated, stepping on my tail. I let out a drawn out mew of pain as he drove his heel into the bulbous, fleshy tip of the appendage. slowly, I nodded my head.

"good. Carlos?" the man appeared by his side. "take him downstairs. do what you need to do. and—" he knelt down and took my head. I was powerless to look away as he forced his eye contact upon me. "make sure you break him. we can't have a willed Pokémon such as it fighting our wars."

As he let go of my head, I could only curse myself for my foolishness. I had let my guard down, let myself trust these people when in reality, what they were giving was too good to be true.

that was the last thing I thought before I let go of consciousness.


	18. Chapter 16

I could do nothing as my limp, lifeless body was grabbed and dragged away. I couldn't feel anything over the pain that seemed to encase my body.

After being unceremoniously dragged down several flights of stairs, my journey finally ended as I was thrown into a white cell.

It was not furnished at all, but a mirror completely covered one wall. The walls and floor was made up of panels, all with the same white, metallic sheen.

The ground was cold, giving me no comfort to me or my injuries.

My body seemed to have recovered slightly and I somehow managed to sit up. In the doorway from I had been thrown, I saw Carlos standing, with a humanoid, black figure with white hair next to him.

"You lied." I spat.

"And so I did. Is that a surprise to you?"

"And when I thought that there was some good in humanity. The moment I let my guard down, mankind is there, ready to sweep me into their insanity."

"Your insanity is the only one here, one hundred and fifty."

"I am not insane." I said through gritted teeth. "And—" I finally got up. "—my name is not one hundred and fifty. It is mewtwo. I am a legendary Pokémon. I am the world's most powerful Pokémon. And you will treat me as such. I am not to be patronised like a Pokémon, for my intelligence is fat greater than yours."

"Who declared you a legend? Because it certainly wasn't Arceus." The black being beside him said.

"I serve no god, only humans. And who are you to make such judgements?"

"Your gaoler, Dakrai." he did a little mock bow to me.

I paused as I tried to recall something about the legend, but I could find nothing. My knowledge on any legends beyond myself and mew was sketchy at best, so that was no surprise.

"You disgust me." I finally said. "The fact that you would side with these humans to take me down, not let Arceus face me honourably in battle."

"Arceus couldn't care less about you. You are flawed. You carry the same vices as humanity does. No, I side with them for a different reason. I side with them because if I do not, you would win."

"And why would that be a bad thing? I personally think that team rocket's ideal for the world is a lot less harsh than mine was."

"Because you're the bad guy mewtwo."

I folded my arms and smirked.

"I beg to differ here. You are the ones who dragged me down here to do heaven-knows-what to me. You're the ones who lied to me. At least team rocket was honourable. At least they told me the truth."

"is that all it takes to please you? An honest word?" Carlos muttered. "do you honestly think that a gang of thieves and murderers would tell you the truth? How do you know that he did not lie? He lied to you before."

"Things have changed. But it seems like they are the only ones that have. For it seems that the rest of humanity is still as rotten. Just like you." I turned to Darkrai. "You may say I am not worthy of being a legend because I hold the same vices as humanity, but in a world where they run rampant, is that a bad thing?"

There was a silence from both of them as my words sank in. I smirked. Even without my power, I was not entirely defenceless.

"I think this discussion ends now." He grinned. "We have tests to do."

I could feel the blood drain from my face as he said that. My thoughts dissolved as fear took hold of my mind. I could only guess what would happen next.

— — —

I groaned as I once again found myself in my cell. I didn't know what they had done. I had lost all sensation in my legs and so I was forced to crawl to the other side of the room, where a tray lay with a small amount of food on it.

It had been at least two weeks since I had been thrown down here, but I couldn't be certain. I had no way of knowing what time it was. Nothing was regular, not even when I was 'tested', if those hours of brutal torture could even be called that. Sometimes, he didn't even come, leaving me in suspense as the time passed with nothing to do. I was rarely fed, and sleep was rarer. My room lacked even a pallet, forcing me to sleep on the hard, cold ground.

But I hadn't broken.

I still fought back at every opportunity, no matter what punishment it entailed.

The door opened behind me, but I made no effort to slow my eating. It had been too long since I had last eaten, and it was taking its toll on me. Every cry of defiance I made was weaker than the last.

"Get up." I heard Carlos say.

Ignoring him, I put the plate down.

"I said—"

"No." I interrupted. "I have one trainer and he is not you."

"So he's your trainer now?" I heard Darkrai whisper in my ear. I had grown to hate the dark legend. Being a dark type, he was immune to whatever psychic barriers I could put in defence. And he made that fact apparent by invading my mind in the few hours of sleep I got. And he haunted my waking hours, haunting me like a spirit.

"Whatever happened to the mewtwo that never obeyed humans? The mewtwo who tried to cleanse the planet of them?"

I cursed myself for letting my tongue slip. I had given them a weapon to use against me.

"Times change. But I would never obey a man such as you." I spat.

"Oh, but you will mewtwo, you will." Carlos said, walking up behind me. I felt his hand to go my outer neck and a wave of fear washed over me. I tried to steel myself, to make myself show not an iota of terror, but it was impossible. Memories of what happened last time this had happened flooded my mind. But this time, Giovanni would not be there to save me.

"Let…go..." I gasped. I struggled, but my lack of food and sleep overpowered any adrenaline I might've had. My vision turned grey as less and less blood made it to my head.

"Oh, but why should I listen to you? I'm not your trainer."


	19. Interlude 2

Journal entry 0301205.0417

Entry written by Carlos D. Ashton

What we are doing is foolish.

We had no idea whether it would work, if forcing its mind into the depths that rule a normal Pokémon would work. The mind of that Pokémon is complex, possibly the most in the world. It was entirely possible that our actions would only kill it.

But with that great power comes great vulnerabilities. And corruption.

While it might have a mind stronger than anything else alive, that mind is near defenseless, its only hope of survival is to kill its opponent before it can land a hit. But while its mind is not without its defenses, it is in its entirety, a flawed entity. It mind could succumb to a thousand different insanities with a push in the direction or we could worm our way past its defenses. And because of that, we can turn its instincts and its flaws against it. We can transform its mind into one of a Pokémon. An actual Pokémon, not whatever ungodly combination of human and beast it thinks itself as.

It doesn't matter. While the monster has a thousand different weaknesses, we can fix that. We can make it invincible.

And while it would hate me for what I have done if it was still awake and sentient, it only fails to see the greater picture of what we are doing.

Any another way, it would be driven to madness. With great power come great responsibility and it has no way of taking charge of such a challenge. It is mentally weak and a Pokémon.

But even as I speak, there is one thing that troubles us all.

While it may be insane, that is no guarantee that we can control it. While we might have the legend Dakari on our side, even he isn't entirely immune to the psychic's mind. He says that it is a twisted mind, and that in time, it will figure out a way to turn it against him. Even when it cannot think and it's mind has been lowered to one of a common beast, it is still violent and unpredictable. It is a miracle that team rocket has manage to survive so long without it going on a rampage of some sort.

The thing is asleep. We have approximately one more hour until it regains consciousness. While perhaps the method we employed to get it into that state was…unnecessary, it should wake up with hopefully no noticeable side effects.

We have one hour to say our prayers and hope this works. One more hour of suspense.

If this works, it will be ready to send out onto the field.

If it doesn't, we are all dead.


	20. Chapter 17

When I woke, things were different.

Very different.

I could hear speaking, but I couldn't understand it.

I appeared to be strapped onto a bed of sorts. There was something under my back, digging into it and annoying me greatly. There was also something — presumably an oxygen mask — strapped onto my face. Opening my eyes, I could see two figures looming over me.

I instantly tried to squirm deeper into the bed as soon as I recognised Carlos, fear taking over my mind. I did not recognise the other one, but she looked like Cassandra.

I let out a small mew of pain as I remembered the nurse. It all seemed so long ago. That life that I once called torture seemed to be no more than a wishful dream right now. Were they ever going to come for me? Was I ever going to be rescued?

Did they even care about me?

The man has turned his attention to me and said something, but while I heard it all, I could not understand.

At seeing my confusion, he smiled and turned to the nurse.

Look at you. I started as I heard what could only be the daemon Dakari. Pathetic. Brought down to the level of a Pokémon. Call yourself a legend now, one hundred and fifty?

I will always be a legend you foul monster. Unlike you...

I'm a monster, am I? Bit hypocritical of you, eh Frankenstein?

I ground my teeth at the jab. I had heard the insult before, but that didn't make it hurt any less. I strained against my straps in a vain effort to escape, but nothing happened.

Carlos stopped talking to the nurse and gave me one last manic smile. The nurse walked away and I was left alone with the man. He did something outsiders of my field of vision and the bed I was on seemed to fall away, leaving me on the floor.

Now free, the fight-or-fight instinct gripped me, with my mind choosing fight. I dropped down into all fours and growled.

The man merely smiled. I still didn't understand what he said, but I could tell by his tone that it was patronising.

That only set my instincts on edge even further.

I sprang at him, teeth bared and tried to hit him with a psychic attack.

But before I could even gather the energy for such an attack, my body suddenly changed course and landed on the ground.

I let out a sharp mew of surprise and horror. That action was not my own. In my mind, I was meant to be on Carlos, my jaws around his neck.

But my body wasn't done yet. It crawled over and sat down like a houndour at Carlos' feet. He smiled and patted me on the head.

Suddenly, the possession ended and I was once again in control of myself.

I used the chance to sink my teeth into the scientist's leg.

He let out a satisfying scream of pain and tried to shake me off, causing my jaws to sink in deeper.

Suddenly, my right shoulder was encased in a shadowy ectoplasm and my jaw was wrenched open, painfully dislocating it. I was then thrown backwards, the grip crushing my shoulder into fragments of bone.

I let out a pained scream as I slammed into the wall and slid to the ground. I could see my shoulder and the numerous shards of white, bloodied bone sticking out of it.

My vision was already beginning to waver, but yet no one was coming to help me. I let out mewing plea for help, but no one came.

And so, I finally fainted, lying in a pool in my own blood.

— — —

I don't know how I awoke.

All I knew that one moment I had been slowly dying in my own blood and then the next I was on the same floor, somehow conscious.

It had been while since I had lost consciousness, as the blood on the floor and on me had faded from brilliant ruby red to a rust brown. My shoulder had begun to clot, but I knew it would require human or psychic intervention in order to heal properly.

Intervention I didn't have.

Hurts doesn't it? I heard a voice say. I didn't bother to turn around to find the daemon.

What did you do? I asked, fear clouding my mind. Whatever anger that had once sharpened my thoughts was gone, leaving my thoughts scattered and dumb.

I heard footsteps and I fearfully turned to the source of the noise.

I saw the man I had bitten earlier walking towards me, an expression of rage on his face. In his hands, he held something long and thin.

A whip.

I tried to shy away from the man, but my progress backwards was stopped by the daemon. Unable to flee, I curled up into a ball, whimpering. Whatever courage and rage I once had gone, leaving me with only sheer terror.

I waited in suspense for the punishment, but it didn't come. Slowly, I looked up and saw the man looming over me, grinning in what I could only perceive as a sigh of aggression.

I tried to say something, but all that came from me was a silent mew. Whatever means of communication that I once had had left me, turning into nothing more than a faint memory of what had once been.

The man said something, but as it had been, it remained unintelligible to me.

Had I ever been able to understand him?

Those memories of comprehension were slowly fading, turning into what could be only described as my own fevered imagination.

Still grinning, the man suddenly brought up and down his weapon in a decisive action.

As it hit me, what could only be described as the last of my humanity left me.


	21. Chapter 18

After what could only be described as an eternity, the lashing finally stopped. I raised my head fearfully and looked up at the face of my tormenter. But there was nothing to be found there, only an uncanny mirror image of my toneless façade.

A façade that had long broken.

But observations like that were now beyond me, and I saw only one thing.

The face of a man who could, without a second thought, kill me.

And it was then, my mind switched.

All of a sudden, I was filled with not fear, but anger, rage and fury that suddenly consumed my being.

Somehow, I managed to get up onto all fours, my right arm hanging uselessly in my destroyed arm socket. I growled, trying not to sway as I faced the man. Somehow, I had found the energy to once again face them and fight.

A small part of me, separate from the dichotomy that ruled my mind, was silently yelling at me to hide, to back down and try and survive.

But it was ignored, drowned out by the voice that told me to fight, the voice that overrode even my basic instinct to survive.

And so, no longer a sentient deity, but a mindless beast, I obeyed.

I concentrated, and somehow though the pain that drowned me, I found enough power to start forming the beginnings of a psychic attack.

But my actions were too clearly telegraphed and the man instantly saw what I was going to do.

Once again, my actions were suddenly stopped as my body went ridged, every muscle tensing and locking in place. A cry of pain somehow escaped me as my shoulder was only impaired even more.

We warned you about what would happen if you tried to attack again… the voice once again whispered in my ear.

I let out a scream of rage as my body broke free of whatever had possessed it and turned, my anger now directed elsewhere.

While the legend was a dark type, he was still no match to the power I possessed, even in the pathetic state I found myself in.

I slammed my tail into the monster, its steel coated tip shattering whatever internal structures held up the daemon. It fell to the floor and I chased after it, determined to finish it off.

He let out a cry of pain and tried to put up a protective barrier between it and me, but I smashed it as I let loose a beam of energy. The hyper beam attack hit the legend and it let out a last, haunting cry as its body faded into nothingness, leaving nothing but a fine white smoke, marking where it had last stood.

I stood there, panting hard as I observed my damage. Everything within a two metre radius of the death was splattered in a dark, jelly-like substance that smelt of ashes. I stood there, pausing not in shock, but in something else that I could not recognise.

Perhaps it was in disgust, or perhaps it was in satisfaction, it didn't matter.

For that was my undoing.

I let out a small yelp as something pierced my skin and I spun around. I tried to bring my mind together to put together another attack, but my mind seemed to slow and I could only struggle as my mind slowly fell into a state of sleep.

I woke suddenly to someone's touch.

My eyes snapped open as the sound of a klaxon reached my ears. I groaned a little as the noise assaulted my aching head.

The hand that was on my uninjured shoulder shook me again and I let out an annoyed growl, hoping the person would let go of me.

Looking up at the person, I saw it was a woman. She didn't look like any of the people I had seen in the research team, but that did not help my aggression at all. She was a human. That was all that mattered.

I tore myself free from her grasp and turned to her, snarling. My anger from before hadn't abated, and I found it now directed at whomever this stranger was.

There was a shout and then, once again, I descended into darkness.

I woke with a sudden cry as I was once again jolted into consciousness.

I was in a different room than I had been for the last Arceus knew how long. It was white, and light filtered through the roof, which appeared to be made from some clear material. Completely covering one wall was a mirror.

I spun around as I sensed another presence in the room. In the corner stood a pink haired woman.

I instantly snarled and turned towards her and the mirror. I started to pace towards her, but she didn't move.

And then, I caught sight of my reflection.

My bared teeth were stained with blood and my eyes were no longer their shade of purple, but rather a brilliant shade of azure. My back was arched like a cat's, revealing the wounds I had obtained from the whip. My form was skeletal and looked like I was going to collapse at any moment. My right arm hung useless by my side and the joint was starting to swell from the beginnings of an infection.

But that was not what caught my attention.

My azure eyes, blue from my rage induced power did not seem like my own. They were full of terror and blinding rage, like those of a cornered Pokémon. Gone was the intelligence and coldness that had once filled me.

As the realisation came to me, my eyes faded from blue to their usual purple as the rage and adrenaline left me. I whimpered in fright and cowered away from the mirror, into the nurse.

She bent down to my pathetic form and put a hand on my, steadying me. She said something, but like all the times before, I could not understand it. While I was terrified of what I thought she might do to me, I could do nothing to save myself from my situation.

I didn't even cringe as I was once again forced into another drug induced coma.

I let out a pained moan as I once again regained consciousness. My head was throbbing and my thoughts were blurred, leaving me unable to think properly. I was vaguely aware of someone standing next to me, but I couldn't tell who it was.

My injured were sore, but I noticed that the pain was muted, not like the sharp agony it had been before.

But that did not matter.

My mind and body felt exhausted and weak, as if I would die from a lack of energy at any moment.

My eyes closed, my body lacking the energy to keep them open and slowly, my mind faded away from that realm.

I let go of consciousness for what I could only fear as the last time.


	22. Chapter 19

Silence.

A silence so thick that it seemed like nothing else existed.

But that wasn't what I noticed.

For the first time since...since...i didn't know when, I wasn't in pain.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. What was going on? But even as my situation made itself known to me, I still seemed unable to feel fear.

I appeared to be floating in a void of some sort. My only landmark was the slowly shifting spectrum of colour that filled this world.

I tried to cast my mind back, to what had happened. There had been fear and...and...

I had been dying.

The revelation hit me harder than any physical attack. This could only mean...

I was dead.

I froze, as my mind slowly comprehended this.

Slowly, I sighed.

I was dead.

Was that really a bad thing? After all I had said and done, perhaps it was better that I simply faded out of existence, never to harm another being. Did I really want to go back to my life, to return to a world governed by pain and injustice?

I heard a familiar flapping of wings and I saw the dove enter my vision. It regarded me with its eerily human blue eyes as it hovered there.

I furrowed my brow. The eyes were familiar. Too familiar….

My breath caught in my throat as I finally recognised the all too familiar eyes.

"mew." I breathed, not as an exclamation of non-human surprise, but as a single name, recalling back pained memories of what I had once been.

The ghost of my past giggled and transformed into its origin form.

My mind once again paused as I took in this new information.

"no…." I breathed.

The Pokémon, obviously not seeing my distress, giggled again.

"why did it take ya so long to guess? I thought you were meant to be good at guessing games!"

I could only watch in horror as my mind slowly reached its conclusion.

"I joined team rocket because of you…" I said, the realisation making my voice tremble. "…and all this time, when you knew what danger I was in, you did nothing to…" my anger towards the creature suddenly returned to me like it had been all those years ago on new island. "you did the exact same thing as you did the first time. You sat by and let me suffer when at any moment, you could of intervened! You let this happen!" I wildly gestured at the space. "you let me die! You let me become nothing but a…but a…but a monster underneath that man's hands! You. Let. This. Happen."

Mew instantly sobered up and looked at me in the eye.

"and perhaps I did. Perhaps I only fast forwarded a death that would've elsewise been had slowly in a lab somewhere. Yes, I left you to 'suffer' at the hands of your 'enemies', but do you not see the other side to this? Look at yourself child. You had someone who cared about you, even if it was for all the wrong reasons. You had the means to be happy and to be safe. Do you really regret that? Do you really wish that you were back in the wild, dying of a thousand different ailments that you cannot even hope to cure; Or worse, within the grasp of a master ball, stripped of your will and forced to battle? I think not Mewtwo."

"but you still left me at the hands of that…that…"

"Mewtwo, despite what you think, I am not some all-powerful god that can save you with a single thought. I was helpless to do anything but watch as they did that do you. If you couldn't save yourself, then neither could I or any other god."

I sighed and turned away.

"but that doesn't matter now, does it? All that is gone and now, I can only wait in this purgatory as the so called gods decide my fate. A fate that I think we all know."

"or does it? This is not the first time you have been here, although I expect you to remember nothing of it." The new species Pokémon floated back into my vision. "life is wonderful Mewtwo, and you shouldn't deny that because you don't think that you're worthy. Because you are. We all are."

"but am I still worthy of such a gift after all I have done? If you were there all along, watching me, you should've seen what I did. I killed people and I enjoyed it. I don't deserve to live. The world will be a better place without me.

"no Mewtwo, it wouldn't." Mew moved closer to me. "it really wouldn't." The Pokémon tried to touch me, but its paw simply went through me.

"no..." The Pokémon whispered, fear suddenly flooding its face. "wait..."

My vision was suddenly enveloped in white as I slowly faded away.

I slowly came to in a confusion of pain and numbness.

I could hear a rhythmic beeping and the sound of movement all around me.

I kept my eyes shut, terrified of what I would find if I opened them. I felt something touch me and I let out a small whimper. After all that had happened, after all they had done do me, I didn't want the company of any human now.

There was more movement and then I let out a sudden yelp as something sharp was pressed against my arm. I eyes flew open and I yanked my hand towards me, sitting up abruptly as I did so.

I saw the being responsible for the action and I involuntarily let out a small growl. But as the lower parts of my mind acted in response, the rest of my intelligence was working furiously. I knew this being, and my mind was working desperately to recall its identity.

Suddenly, the identity clicked and my mind shifted. I let my aggression fade and slowly lowered my limbs out of my defensive stance.

"I…" my mind paused as I tried to remember how to speak. I gave up and my body collapsed back onto the bed.

I tried to hold back a sob, but it was in vain.


	23. Chapter 20

Months passed.

My body healed, but while that could fix, I could not say the same about my mind.

No one would ever be able to escape the torture I had been through without damage, and I was no different.

I sighed and looked at my desk. While I had been slowly recovering — both physically and mentally — I was Still not fit to return to the battle.

And so, I returned to the base, a mere ghost of who I once was.

I had returned to the labs, picking up the research from where Carlos had left it when he had left. And while I resented dealing with his work, I had to admit that the man was a genius. Had I not been the test subject of his experiments, I would've liked nothing more than to work with the man. And even as I looked upon the work that had led to my insanity and my near death several times, I could still feel a sort of twisted awe at his work.

I shuddered and shoved the file on the desk aside. Even looking at his last presence in the lab threatened lead to my mind to return to the madness that had pursued me in the labs before.

Letting out a shaky breath and turned to the only other object on the desk.

A small group of paper cranes.

I picked one up in My left arm. It twitched and I cringed. Unfortunately, my anti-psychotic medication didn't come without side effects.

I looked down at the now crushed paper crane. While the side affects that I suffered weren't pleasant, I knew that there wasn't any other choice.

I let a shaky sigh our as I tried not to let my control dissolve. I hadn't seen the dove, nor had I seen mew in the months since my awakening. Was I so pathetic of a case that even it had given up?

I got up.

I knew I could not deny it anymore.

"I'm insane." I whispered to the empty room. My voice was hollow and trembled slightly, having never quite recovered from what had happened.

And no matter how I looked at it, neither had I.

I felt my legs suddenly give way and I fell to the floor. My body subconsciously brought itself into a ball, as if that could somehow protect it from the insanity that was about to overcome me.

I tried to fight it, I tried to prevent it from taking away what intelligence and composure I had, but I ultimately failed.

And then, I changed.

My hearing and smell sharpened and Instantaneously lost most of my intelligence. I couldn't remember the name of my nurse, nor what my pokedex number was. My mind was suddenly swamped with emotions that I had kept suppressed and ones that had been hidden from my mind long ago.

I lay there on the floor, not moving as what was left of my mind fought back the primal urges that ruled my primitive mind — the one single urge to kill.

Where in a normal mind, the instinct to survive was prevalent, it was gone in my mind, replaced by a single need to destroy.

I let out a choked sob as I tried to suppress the desire in the hope that perhaps it would all pass.

It didn't.

I heard the sound of footsteps outside and my mind was suddenly sent into a fear induced panic. I curled up even tighter.

Even months after what had happened, I still feared humans. I couldn't look at one and not be reminded of what happened.

I heard the door open and the footsteps stop next to me. The human said something, but my primitive mind had lost all comprehension of language.

But while I couldn't understand its speech, somehow the tone seemed comforting, and I could feel my tense muscles relax slightly, even when it moved to stroke me. I could do nothing but lie there as my primitive mind was lulled into a false sense of security.

And then, as sudden as before, my mind swapped once again.

In a way, the accent back into intelligence was much more jarring than the decent. It was sudden, going from the dumbness of a beast to the sentience greater than even a human - unlike the reverse transition.

I was suddenly acutely aware of the hand touching me and invading my personal space. For a haunting moment, I could smell and hear things that were normally outside of the normal range of my senses, but it passed quickly.

My muscles suddenly tensed under the humans touch, but this time it was intentional. I let out a slow breath as I assured myself that my mind was once again within my control. I dragged myself up using my desk, my back still turned to whoever had come to help me.

"I'm fine. You can go now." I said as I managed to get myself into a standing position, my mind already reaching for my desk drawer.

"No mewtwo, you're not." My mind froze momentarily as I heard the voice. I had expected the 'someone' to be one of the lab assistants, not him. I was suddenly overcome with a feeling of guilt for some reason. I hadn't seen my 'boss' in the months since my revived either, I noted.

"Fine." I spat. "I'm not. And I know I'm not." I opened the drawer and telekinetically brought out a white bottle. Checking the label momentarily to make sure it was the right one, I opened it and quickly devoured a tablet. "you don't need to remind me of that fact." I spat at him, my telepathic voice unimpeded by the object in my mouth.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He said.

I paused.

"don't." I muttered, turning around. "don't pity me."

"but why mewtwo?"

"you're not meant to pity me. You built me to be the world's most powerful Pokémon and I failed. And not only that, but I defected to what could be considered your worst enemy. You shouldn't be giving me sympathy!"

"then what should I be doing?"

"I don't know." I paused as I thought about it more clearly. "I should be fighting."

"you should?" He raised an eyebrow at this.

"I need to fight. Its apart of who I am." I let a small sigh. "ive lost most of who I am. Please don't make me lose this too. I havent fought in months. I havent had all my power under my control for months. And its getting to me. Please, just let me go back to the arena, back to the league. It might've been what I despised the most but...I feel powerless right now. And I'm sick of feeling powerless. I had to endure my will being taken away from me. Please don't make me endure this too. I don't care if I'm not ready. I don't care if I'll crack. I don't care if it'll damage me. I just need to...I need to feel like I am in control. That I really am the world's most powerful Pokémon. That I really am worthy of the title of legend." I cringed as Dakrai's words came back to my mind.

I'm not weak. I desperately thought to myself. But even as I through that, I had my doubts. Had I really sunk so low that I was practically begging for a chance to fight? I cringed again as I felt my arm twitch once more; yet another reminder of my pathetic state.

But to my uttermost surprise, he nodded.

"go. Go to the armoury. I'll be there in a few minutes."

— — —

I looked at the armour and sighed. This had been what I had wanted. So why was I pausing right now?

A part of me was begging to go back to the lab, to let myself succumb to the madness that had held me. Perhaps it was a remnant of the me that once resented this. Perhaps it was a remnant of an earlier time when this place was my worst fear and foe.

But I couldn't.

I couldn't go back, when I had this in front of me.

I picked up the collar from the table in front of me. It was essential to the working of the suit, and I would have to put it on first. I looked at it in my hands, its white metal surface cool to touch. I could see the two prongs that when worn, would bypass various biological fail safes and limiters that my body employed to keep my power in balance. It also would, if worn right now, also bypass the numerous drugs in my system that were preventing me from using my powers for anything more than speech and telekinesis at the moment.

My left hand went to my neck, where I could feel the scars of where the collar was meant to go. It had too long since I had worn it.

I could feel the scars growing fainter every day.

Eventually, my thirst for power overcame all of my sensibilities and I snapped the collar around my inner neck.


	24. Chapter 21

I let out a small mew of sudden pain as the sharp prongs of the collar pierced my skin and were driven into my flesh. The scars had healed, making the incision more painful than it had once been. There was a click as the piece of metal lit up, first white and then in the shade of azure that marked my psionic powers.

All of a sudden, my vision went white as my senses were suddenly overloaded with power and information. There was a crack as I fell over and my head hit the floor, but I could only dimly hear it over what my mind was going though. I lay there on the floor, gasping as my power hit my mind stronger than any psychic attack would've been able to.

It soon passed and once again, I was able to move. I sat up, still breathing heavily from the "attack".

But that wasn't what I focused on.

My entire life, I had taken my immense power for granted, but now, for the first time, I realised just how truly powerful a being I was. It was only after having it all taken away from me did I finally see just what humanity had meant when they had said I was the worlds most powerful Pokémon.

I telekinetically lifted myself, grinning like a madman. Though my veins and my mind, I could feel the power that was my birth right flowing though me, taking control of me and my mind.

Experimentally, I formed a ball of psychic energy in my hand. It flared into existence, a blinding orb of blue light. And then, I realised something.

I could escape.

There was literally nothing in the world that could stop me. No god, let alone the entirety of humankind could keep me from escape. No prison and no ball could contain me.

I looked to the ceiling, and past it, to the skies where the so called 'gods' were watching. They were nothing compared to me.

The door opened behind me.

I didn't need to guess who it was.

"mewtwo..." I heard him say.

"tell me. Tell me why I should stay." I demanded. My voice had regained its reverb and its power.

"because deep down, below all your power and your intelligence, you are just a Pokémon. You can't use that power of yours without the presence of a trainer. Call it trust or call it friendship, its why you have that power of yours."

"nonsense."

"it isn't Mewtwo. If it really didn't matter, why haven't you escaped by now?"

I paused as I tried to think of an answer, but one didn't come. I let out a frustrated growl and turned away.

"I can't have this. I just can't. It doesn't make me strong. It makes me weak. And it is foolish of mankind to think otherwise. I am a being of logic and knowledge, not of love and emotion like the rest of Pokémon and human kind. This…this shouldn't even be possible." I let my head tilt back and let out an exasperated sigh.

"this is impossible. You should know that yourself. You were the ones who removed my emotions in the first place."

"fine. Then don't call it friendship. Call it loyalty, you can exhibit that at least. We all saw your actions at purity lake."

I remained silent. That still wasn't any better. Whatever had happened to me? I was now loyal to the one man who I had sworn to kill. Had I fallen so low? Had I really let myself be manipulated and changed like this?

But then again, had I ever had a choice? Or had my fate been sealed from the moment I had made amends to that man?

But then again, even before that, did I have a choice? Mew had manipulated my mind with her subtle powers before I had even turned to face the man.

I let my head nod back into its original position and turned around. I walked past my 'master' towards the door.

"where are you going?"

"to fight." I paused and looked over my shoulder. "I can't let myself go insane from trying to figure out your twisted ways."

"what about the rest of your armour?"

I let out a short laugh and turned around fully.

"Giovanni, I am the world's most powerful Pokémon. I have survived both your infernal machines, mew and six years against the unforgiving blade of mother nature. I don't need armour – maybe I did once upon a time, but I certainly do not need it now."

It almost seemed to good to be true. To once again be back in the open, fresh air with nothing but my powers to protect me.

While the landscape was foreign to me, that couldn't subtract any of the sheer happiness I felt right now.

I let my natural aura of power that fuelled my pressure ability flare up in preparation for the battle that would come. It didn't matter who or what I was fighting now. I had given up caring who my opponent was ages ago. No matter what I had been though, nothing could ever decay my natural love for battle.

At least, so I thought.

There was the sound of footprints as what I could only assume was my first challenger. I looked ahead to see who it was.

And in that instant, all my happiness turned to fear.

"one hundred and fifty. I'm surprised you're out and fighting so soon." The man smiled, the arcanine at his feet letting out a contented growl. Behind me, I could hear the aggressive hiss of a persian.

"mewtwo, step away from that man right now." I heard the man behind me say quietly. "I can deal with him. Just get away from him now." I nodded in response and was about to comply, when I caught sight of another figure.

The daemon smiled.

My fear turned to rage as I looked at the 'god'.

"you." I breathed, loathing clear in my voice.

"yes, its me. Why are you so surprised?"

I didn't reply, instead I leapt towards the Pokémon, the air in front of me ablaze with psychic energy. My trajectory was stopped as I slammed into the Pokémon's protect.

"so I take it that this is a battle?" The legends trainer said, a smirk on his face. "I recommend that you think about this Giovanni. The odds aren't exactly on your side. Your only Pokémon is an insane psychic who can barely control itself. And we all remember what happened last time we crossed Pokémon..."

"mewtwo, I don't think..." He began to reply, but I cut him off.

"no. I will fight this. I have to." He sighed and nodded.

"then we accept your challenge." The moment that he said that, the darkrai launched at me, fingers elongated and sharpened into fine claws of shadow energy. I tried to protect, but the attack sliced though my defences, slashing three long gashes into my face. I tired to heal, but the energy imbued in the wounds prevented my psychic powers from taking to the wound and healing it. Ignoring the blood running down my face, I formed two large balls of aura and launched them at the being. It deflected them with ease.

"you think you can beat me again? That defeat was nothing but a fluke. You will never defeat me you-"

"ENOUGH!" I bellowed, prepping and launching a hyper beam in a single instant, illuminating the area around me in a blinding white light.

The being held up a single hand and the beam was deflected back at me. The beam of energy hit me, driving me into the ground and simultaneously breaking my ribs and my external spine.

I let out a pained mew as my condition, combined with the exhaustion caused by the attack left me immobile in the crater formed by my attack.

The man walked to the edge of the crater and looked down at me, darkari standing next to him.

"I will give you an offer, one hundred and fifty. You can give us all ownership of you and return to our organisation. Do that and all will be forgiven."

I tried to respond, but with my outer neck broken, I had absolutely no psychic capabilities, therefore rendering me mute.

"No." From my twisted position on the ground, I could see Giovanni walk down to stand next to my fallen figure. "I will not let you take away mewtwo. No being should be forced to go through what you put it though."

"I do not recall asking you." The man said, his tone suddenly cold. "your organisation will fall, no matter what option your Pokémon takes. Darkari?" the dark type nodded and the man was suddenly lifted up and flung aside.

"so, one hundred and fifty, what will it be? Will you foolishly defy us for the last time, or will you join us?"

I looked at the duo, fear flooding though my mind. I couldn't go back. Not when I knew what would happen to me. Not after what happened to me the first time. But at the same time, I was terrified of what they would do to me if I refused. Force me into a master ball? Strip me of my mind and my will?

My mind froze in fear, leaving me unable to answer.

"I take that as a no." the man said. "very well then. There is only one other way for this to end then." He brought out a gun and aimed at my head.

"death."

"you really were a fool." Darkari said. "no one will morn you mewtwo. No one will even notice your death." It said, but its words were unheeded to me. All I could focus on was one thing.

I had failed.

And for the last time.

There was a bang as the gun was fired and all I could focus on was the bullet, rapidly getting closer to its fatal target.

And in that single moment, all my fear and anger and something else I could not quite identify suddenly coalesced into a sudden force. It enveloped to bullet, surrounding it in a dim blue aura. My two killers look at the bullet frozen in mid air with confusion and fear on their faces.

The bullet dropped out of mid-air, harmlessly landing on my torso.

But I had lost all focus on it.

My mind was suddenly filled with a sense of rage and something else that I didn't recognise. It seemed like loyalty, but yet it had a different quality to it. I was dimly aware of the two figures shouting, but it was suddenly blacked out as a sudden wave of pain hit me.

Over the all the pain though, I could feel something else. I could feel my broken bones knitting together and then fusing as my body completely changed, growing in stature and muscle. I could feel my power grow, not in a mental way, but rather in the natural power that I suddenly found my body imbued with.

My eyes suddenly snapped open and when they did, they were now a shade of bright azure, powered by anger and whatever emotion had trigged this transformation.

I slammed into the ground, making it shake and crack upon my impact.

The daemon instantly attacked, but in my enhanced state, its moves were clearly telegraphed to my mind and I instantly replied with a kick that connected with the creature's face. It was slammed back into the ground where it fainted, leaving nothing more than fine white smoke and strange, gelatinous ashes.

And with that, I turned to the man.

He looked at me with clear terror in his face

"O..one hundred and fifty, I-"

"My name is not one hundred and fifty." I spat. My voice was now physical and came with ease, despite me having never being able to speak verbally before. It was satisfyingly loud and deep. "my name is mewtwo and you should treat me with the respect I deserve. I am a being far worthier of the title of legend than the beast you pitted against." I walked towards him, my increased height now towering over the man.

"Tell me why I should kill you right now. Tell me why i should not end this nightmare of mine right here."

"Because... Because deep down, you hate what you've become." He said, his voice regaining its confidence. "deep down, you hate the fact that you have discovered this power, only to realise that it depends on the trust you have with the one man you hate the most. You've become a weapon mewtwo. And you know it. And you hate it."

"and what do you have to offer that is better?"

"we could be equals. You join me as my partner and we could end all of this. End all of the suffering that both you and thousands of Pokémon have to go through each day. And we could get you help. Actual help."

I threw back my head and let out a laugh.

"do you really think that I'll believe that after all you did to me? Or are you just as stupid as I first thought humanity was? The last person who offered me to be 'partners' didn't exactly fare well. And do you mean help for the damage you caused? Listen, we all know where I would be if I took your 'help'. Look at me! The only reason why I'm here, talking to you instead of cowering on the ground in some mental psychosis is because I'm on more drugs than one would even think humanly possible." I walked over and picked him up with one hand. "I don't know who you think I am, so I'll tell you. I'm not some innocent Pokémon who has been misused. I'm not some misguided soul who has been fighting on the wrong side. I'm a creature built to kill and to enjoy it. You can try and justify my action, but at the end of the day, I am your enemy, not your friend. And that's where I differ from you. I don't need to justify my actions. Not anymore. I enjoy this destruction and death I cause. And I know that you can't give me that. You'll always want me to follow some rules or show honour or another one of your human emotions."

"You're...you're insane!" He stammered.

I gave him a grin, showing my healed, unnaturally large teeth.

"I am. What's your point?"

"li-listen, you don't have to be like this...we can fix you. Help you."

"And why would you do that after all the effort you spent on trying to break me? No, you can't save me. You've driven me too far. Look at me! Why would I want to go back when it's given me this? No, you can't help me. I enjoy this madness. And you can't take it away from me." I brought him up closer to my face. I could see the sheer terror in his eyes, something that gave me a massive amount of satisfaction.

"And know this — I won't have any qualms about killing you. Your death will be only my satisfaction. Do you have any last words?"

"You're...you're a monster... "

"Yes I am. And it's you're fault that I am what I am."

His neck felt so frail beneath my enlarged hands.

It only took the slightest tensing of my hand to snap it.

I dropped the now dead body as all of a sudden, the rage and power I'd held left my mind. I was hit with another Instantaneous wave of pain as my body shrunk and morphed back into its original form.

I temporarily blacked out, waking up what seemed like moments later on the ground. My trainer was standing over me, concern and fear clearly written in his face.

"It's ok. I'm fine." I managed to say. My entire body hurt from the transformations, but it was bearable.

He nodded and offered his hand to me.

I paused and then took it. He pulled me up as my mind regained balance of the sudden weight and height change I had just been though. My now violet eyes met his brown ones and I smiled.

"come on. Let's get you back to base."


	25. epilouge

The clearing was quite, just like it had been the first time. But in reality, I knew that was the only thing hadn't changed.

"Where are you?" I called, my echoless telepathic voice ringing clear though the clearing.

"so you've returned." The clone teleported unit he clearing in a flash of red light. "why did you come back mewtwo? Did you come to fight me again?" she smirked. "did you come for me to dash your pride to pieces again?"

"I came to fight yes, but I think that you'll find the battle much harder this time around." I grinned, mega evolving.

For a single fraction of a moment, I saw nonplussed surprise in her eyes, but she quickly recovered.

"Very well then." She said, mega evolving herself. "but before we begin, maybe I ask what caused this change of events?"

"I ignored what you said. I did what came naturally to me and 'destroyed and created strife' just like you said I would. And I learnt something. While I might not be as naïve as you, I am something else that you aren't. Loyal."

"so you bonded with the very humans you hate simply to be more powerful?" she gave me a disapproving tsk. "you'll regret that decision one day brother, I can tell you that. One of you will betray the other and it will all go to hell. It's in both your and humanity's nature to betray and manipulate."

"I know that will happen. But I'll sort that out when it comes to that."

"you naïve fool..." she muttered. "But who am I do critique your decisions. You came to fight. And a fight you will get."

We both readied ourselves.

And so we fought.

 **THE END**

* * *

And that's that. Restart is done. You made it though all that? Good job mate.

Will there be a sequel? No.

As with any author, reviews/comments are highly appreciated. But them again, that kinda goes without saying.

There will be more stories! So, if you liked this, keep an eye out for them!

-λ


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